2011년 6월 25일 토요일

William Clark

Brief Description
     William Clark was born on August 1, 1770, and died on September 1, 1838. William Clark was an American explorer for President Jefferson, a military leader, Indian agent, and territorial governor of Missouri. Clark was born in Virginia, but would later on grow up in Kentucky before later moving and settling in what would later became the state of Missouri. William Clark was also known to be active in slave ownership, and trading slaves as well.  Along with Meriwether Lewis, William Clark led the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1803~1806, traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and out to the outskirts, adjacent to the Pacific Ocean, and claiming the Pacific Northwest territories to expand the American jurisdiction because of demand for more land by the gradual growth of immigrants for the United States of America.  Before the Lewis and Clark expedition, he served in a militia and the United States Army appointed and trusted by President Thomas Jefferson, himself. Afterward he served in a militia and as governor of the Missouri.

Expedition and Military Services
      Before the Lewis and Clark Expedition, Clark was a brigadier general in a militia, protecting the Louisiana territory. Because of the indigenous Indian population, he was later appointed to become an agent of Indian affairs, negotiating and often persecuting Indians from their native homes. Clark also led some minor battles in the War of 1812, and was nominated to become the governor of Missouri three times, by two presidents consecutively (twice by Madison, and once, Monroe). After Missouri was officially declared as a state, Clark decided to continue serving as governor. However, he had lost to his running opponent, Alexander McNair in 1820. Although he was out of the governmental an judiciary area of the game, he was nominated to be installed into a new position, created by Congress, Superintendent of Indian Affairs in 1822. Clark continued serving this position until he had died.
     The Lewis and Clark Expedition was organized by President Thomas Jefferson in order to increase American jurisdiction and territory. There was still territories in the west that weren't yet explored according to the American knowledge. President Jefferson, decided to commission an expedition to the Louisiana Territory and all the way out to the outskirts of the Western Territories, towards the Pacific Ocean. Meriwether Lewis was chosen to lead the expedition with Clark as his companion and partner to come back with reports and thorough investigative notes also maps of the routes and given territories that they had touched. They were also required to search for a water route from all of the 13 Original Colonies to the Pacific Ocean and claim the Oregon Territory  for more fertile and rich land for the United States of America before the invading European nations could claim in it and settle to start another invasion or attack. Together they left with different jobs that they each had focused on. William was more focused on supplying the group with fresh meat with hunts and drawing out precise and accurate drawings of maps.

2011년 6월 18일 토요일

USS William D. Porter

Brief Description

     USS William D. Porter (DD-579), a Fletcher-class destroyer, was a ship of the United States Navy named for Commodore William D. Porter (1808–1864) a faithful and hard-working navy officer who served his country well. William D. Porter was constructed and began to begun being made May 7th 1942, at Orange, Texas, by the Consolidated Steel Corporation. The battleship was going to be used as a destroyer to participate in the future battles that it would encounter in such as World War II, the war in the Philippines, etc. It made its first appearance and was launched on September 27th 1942 and began its work immediately after being commissioned. The ship was sponsored by Miss Mary Elizabeth Reeder (meaning she paid for the construction and she had contributed into helping and serving her nation by sponsering another destroyer ship. USS William D. Porter was commissioned on July 6th 1943, with the Lieutenant Commander Wilfred A. Walter in command of this vessel.


Debut and Mistakes

     USS William D. Porter was first sent to serve its time in the Atlantic Ocean. However, because there was no threat to a war at that time, it served to be a transporter and often a "border-line" watcher for the American eyes. For the beginning of its trip, it made its way up and down the Atlantic Ocean in order to receive repairs and adjustments to its engines and other mechanic mechanisms such as the machine guns and the heavy guns installed on the ship. It also helped transport many U.S diplomats to pass through the Atlantic Ocean. It was officially known to the public when it was under drills with its fellow ship, Iowa. 
While relaying and scanning the oceans for any specific threats, a torpedo was spotted by the destroyer. William D. Porter attempted to signal its adjacent battleship, Iowa about the threatening and incoming torpedo but, obeying and owing to orders to maintain and keep radio silence, the crew members were forced and had no choice but to use a signal lamp for communication. At this time, President Roosevelt was on this vessel. However, the destroyer first sent message of the direction of the torpedo, but relayed the wrong message, informing Iowa that Porter was backing up rather than telling her that that an incoming torpedo was in the water. In desperation and in panic mode, the destroyer finally broke radio silence, breaking the rule of silence and, used codewords to send a warning message to Iowa regarding the urgent information of an incoming torpedo. After confirming the identity of the destroyer, Iowa quickly took action to avoid being hit by the torpedo by starting the engines and completely rerouting its entire position on the sea. After a short while, the torpedo detonated some 3,000 yards away from the Iowa. Iowa was left without any noticeable damage or whatsoever, but trained her main guns on William D. Porter out of concern and suspicion that the Porter's crews may have been involved in some sort of assassination plot to kill the president. Later, the entire crew was arrested for suspicion of assassination attempt. This was the first time that the U.S Navy had ever encountered throughout its history.

Prince William of Wales

Brief Description
Prince William is the second in line to the Royal British throne and was born on June 21st 1982 at St. Mary’s hospital, London. William was the first-born child of Prince Charles and Princess Diana of Wales and was raised and much influenced into intense media interest, which was something that he would eventually have to get adapted to for his future as the Prince of Wales.  As a grandchild to Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William's official title is known as, His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales. He has one younger brother Harry and two step siblings who are, Tom Parker Bowles and Laura Bowles. Both which are from his father’s second wife Camilla Parker Bowles.

Prince William Education

Prince William learned was educated in many different private schools in Berkshire and London before entering to the prestigious Eton college at the age of 11. The reason for him to go into college at such a young age was to provide a safer environment to distinctively be protected from the disruptions of the media and often many field journalists/interviewers. The media did respect the Palace’s request to “leave William alone until he was 18” due to him becoming a major public interest of how he was feeling and how he was living ever since the tragic death of his mother, Princess Diana of Wales. As a way of thanking the media for respecting his privacy for almost 7 years, TV cameras were given a rare insight of Prince William at Eton college, showing him enjoying various activities such as cooking, sport and other hobbies that the young prince enjoyed as a growing teenager. Since leaving school relationship with the media have been more active and focused more on him because with regard to interest over his girlfriend Kate Middleton who he met in college.

Death of Princess Diana and Marriage

     On August 31st 1997, his mother Princess Diana of Wales was involved in a fatal car crash and passed away when William was only fifteen years of age. This led to worldwide grieving, at the unexpected loss and such shocking news to have pass away so quickly. Diana was truly a motivational leader and was known to be an iconic figure amongst not only in the United Kingdom, but also throughout the world.  Diana was very close to her husband and her two sons, which led to have a huge and major impact in both of their lives. Although both the princes had lost their beloved mother, Princess Diana, they were known to show dignity and remained strong which showed the world that, both were honorary figures through such a difficult time in the Royal Family's history. Prince William began to take his mother's footsteps into helping and becoming a major patronage to charities. So far, he has helped a charity which involves helping young homeless men/women, and often young teenagers/adults who are in need of a home and some attentive care. In 2010, Prince William announced his engagement to Kate Middleton. They were married at Westminster Cathedral, England on April 29, 2011.These two honorary figures originally met each other in the same college known as, St. Andrews and later on met up with each, eventually falling in love.

2011년 6월 4일 토요일

William Ray Cyrus

Brief Description
     William "Billy" Ray Cyrus was born on August 25, 1961. He is an American country music singer, songwriter and a frequent actor. Cyrus was also known to help make country music a worldwide outbreak and popular. He released eleven studio albums and has released 38 singles. Cyrus, a multi-platinum selling recording artist, has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs chart which was clearly a record.  Cyrus was born in Flatwoods, Kentucky in 1961. He grew up around a christian community and was also inspired by bluegrass and gospel music mixed together. Billy Ray's father was a politician while his grandfather was a Pentecostal preacher. His father, a right-handed man, played guitar, but Billy Ray was left-handed. He attempted to play his father's guitar, but could never learn because of his dexterity of his left hand . Cyrus attended Georgetown College on a baseball scholarship before actually taking a full turn on towards music. During the 1980s, Cyrus played in a band called, Sly Dog before getting a contract and a record deal with the Mercury Nashville Records.



Acting Career
     Cyrus starred in the 1999 film "Radical Jack". Cyrus' television appearances and credits include The Nanny, Diagnosis Murder, The Next Wave, Love Boat and TNN’s 18 Wheels Of Justice. Cyrus has also been the subject of many television specials that detail his rise to fame and his career. On the late year of 2005, Cyrus and his daughter Miley Cyrus began starring in the Disney Channel original television series, Hannah Montana, with Miley Cyrus as the main character and Cyrus, her father co-starring with her. This was probably where Billy Ray Cyrus received most of his fame for his young eager fans. Cyrus also inspires his young fans and encourages them by making frequent guest appearances in concerts, and often "nation-wide kids" meetings in famous television broadcast stations such as ABC, and Nickelodeon.In March 2007, Cyrus also canonized himself by joining several other celebrities to take part the famous dancing entertainment television broadcast show, Dancing with the Stars. He and his dance partner Karina Smirnoff, were eliminated in the eighth week of the competition, after having also placed sadly in the "bottom two". Cyrus also starred in Jackie Chan's movie The Spy Next Door which really had his young children and very "young" adults to see him active in acting and yet still being the old funny "Billy Ray Cyrus".



Cyrus' Christianity and Marriage
     Although Cyrus was grown in a friendly Christian environment, he is not necessarily known to be the sharpest Christian celebrity as we know. Because of his passion for country music, he later on "forgot" about Christianity, but still he released albums such as, Time Flies and The Other Side, which were both released in the year 2003. Cyrus was known to almost have two failed marriages, but later on it turned out that he wasn't through with the divorce and the couple were still together. His first wife, was just a come and go wife, and Cyrus later on married Leticia "Tish" Cyrus, also known as Finley. Together they had three children: daughters Miley Ray (born Destiny Hope in 1992) and Noah Lindsey (born 2000), and son Braison Chance (born 1994). He also has two adopted stepchildren from Finley's previous marriage, Trace (born 1989), now a singer/guitarist for the hit-band Metro Station, and Brandi (born 1987), as well as a son, Christopher Cody (born 1992). Altogether Cyrus has 6 children, but he was known to file a divorce with Finely because of issues within the family. However, on March 11, 2011 it was decided that the family was still together.

2011년 5월 28일 토요일

William Shakespeare

Brief Description
     William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, on the year April 23, 1564. Holy Trinity Church indicated records that Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, 3 days after he was born.  William was born from his father, John Shakespeare, a glover and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a landed heiress. William, was the third child of eight children of the Shakespeare household. The sad thing about the family was, three of them died in childhood due to sickness in the 16th century and weak immunity to the diseases at that time. Shakespeare produced most of his famous works such as Hamlet, Romeo Juliet, Macbeth, etc. between the years 1589 and 1613. His productions were mainly comedies and histories, which he had made continuously until the end of the 16th century. He then moved onto writing tragedies until about 1608. These compositions that he wrote were considered to be one of the greatest works of the English language as Shakespeare made new words enlisted to the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies a mix of tragic and a bit of humor events combined into one play. Shakespeare died what he loved doing on April 23th 1616 in his birth hometown.




Influence to Other Writers
     Shakespeare influenced novelists such as famous authors, Thomas Hardy, Charles Dickens, etc. Today, due to research, scholars have identified 20,000 pieces of music and writing styles linked to Shakespeare's compositions and his works. As a matter of fact, if not for Shakespeare and his remarkable writing talent and skill, many of today's classic authors would not have been able to no longer define their writings as "classics" as we call it today. Shakespeare was also known to have created more words to the new-born "English" language. Today, not only are writers influenced by the characteristics, mood, and plots of the story are, but how he created new letters in order for the people that live in the modern world, can use. Because of him, we are able to increase and show our feelings through our writings and compositions because of his influence in creating more legible and sophisticated words, and his influence on others in writing tragic, comedy, and romance based on his original dramas.


Style of Writing
     Shakespeare's first plays were written in the style of the way he truly believed of what he thought was, romance, love, and peace. He wrote numerous plays and poems in a stylized language that people usually did not understand right on, but would think critically to understand  it well. With the English language becoming more stylized, Shakespeare would often exaggerate in words that usually didn't always come out naturally from the needs of the characters in the story, or the stage performance. The poetry and the long sonnets of his compositions usually depended on extended, sometimes elaborate metaphors and description. The reason to this was because in acting, it often made more sense and people would have a strong idea in which how the character felt, and what he was truly expressing in the story plot. Of course, today many people who aren't bibliophiles or true fans of romantic style of books would easily fall asleep while reading one of Shakespeare's writings. However, it is said that if you read very, very carefully and understand what message that he is trying to convey to the reader and the audience, then it would clearly impact your life and learn something useful that you may later on need to know about in order to live in this world.

2011년 5월 16일 월요일

William S. Harney

Brief Description


      William Selby Harney was born on August 22nd, 1800  and died on May 9th, 1889. Harney was a cavalry officer in the U.S Army during the Mexican and American Wars and the Indian Wars. Harney's military career was launched when his brother Benjamin F. Harney, an Army surgeon  instructed and inspired him to join the U.S Army. However, William was more interested in joining the Army, but convinced the famous general, Andrew Jackson into joining the Navy. After being accepted into the Navy, he entered as the second Lieutenant ,but later on chose to serve under General Andrew Jackson. During the Mexican-American Wars, he was promoted to colonel, and was the commander of the 2nd Dragoons. Harney led attacks against the Sioux on the Battle of Ash Hollow  in 1855, which was where the Sioux were defeated. After the battle, the Sioux called Harney "Woman Killer." This was one of the opening battles in the more than two decades of the Plains Indian Wars commanded by Harney, himself. Harvey was later promoted to brigadier general on June 14, 1858, as he was one of the four general officers in the regular army towards the beginning of the Civil War.

Civil War

       Throughout the Civil War, Harney was not known to do or perform any important deeds that would certainly change the whole concept and image of the Civil War. After conflicts in Missouri, the Missourian Governor Claiborne Jackson (who was more interested in secession rather uniting into one nation ) swore allegiance to the Union in the deal in not joining the Union, but seceding from it. To the Unionist leaders in Missouri, they were no at all pleased about this,  On May 30th, Blair reported all of this to the Lincoln administration in Washington, and was given the order to replace Harney with Lyon. Harney was called to Washington to discuss this situation. However, Harney was captured by Confederates while proceeding through his mission and was offered a command by the famous Confederate General Robert E. Lee. However, he refused the generous offer and was released, peacefully to continue on to Washington, where he was permanently relieved of his command and no longer a major leader of the U.S Army. Upon returning to Washington, Harney remained in Washington, serving in various administrative positions. He retired in 1863, and was promoted to Major General in 1865, in recognition of his long and patriotic loyalty to the Union Army.

Peace Negotiator

     Harney was known not just for his brutality and loyalty in commanding battles, but he was also known as a dedicated peaceful negotiator. Harney was a man, as described by his past Indian rivals, as a man who kept his word. Before even launching attacks in the Mexican-American Wars, Harney insisted in writing letters to both the government and the leaders of the Indian tribes that they were going against, so they would find a peaceful resolution rather then having pointless bloodshed amongst both sides. However, often times the letters would fail and Harney would be forced to fight against the Indians.

2011년 5월 9일 월요일

Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr.

Brief Description
Willard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. was born September 25, 1968 and was raised in West Philadelphia. He was raised as a Baptist Christian, but his parents shook his faith after they had divorced when he was thirteen years old. He was apparently rumored that Smith was given a scholarship to attend M.I.T. However, he said that he turned down the offer because he knew that he did not want to pursue a career as an engineer, but rather was looking for something else. Smith later decided that acting was something that he was into and was willing to take the time and energy to work on it. He was much featured in a T.V show that many people enjoyed called "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air". He also starred in various movies such as "I Am Legend", "i-Robot", etc. Smith also declined many other famous role parts such as the role for playing Neo in the famous world-wide known movie, Matrix. Instead, he chose to act in a drama/play called West Wide Story. As an avid movie critic and viewer, he made decisions in his career that some people thought of as very derogatory, or unwise, but nevertheless, he is who he is today.



Music and Acting and His Life
     Will Smith Jr. first took his career in to music before coming into the acting business. He was known to be known as the "Fresh Prince" which was the nickname given when he was a childhood, and which started the idea of the famous T.V series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Smith was originally known as the MC of the hip-hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince throughout his musical career, with his childhood friend Jeffrey "Jazzy Jeff" Townes as turntablist and producer as well as Ready Rock C (Clarence Holmes) as the human beat box. The three young men were very entertaining to the crowd, and were often known not for their fantastic musical ability, but because of their humorous acts that made many people laugh during their shows. He later on gave up his rapping career for acting. Smith was known mostly because of his humorous figure that was shown because of his outgoing personality. Smith currently has three children, Trey Smith, Jaden Smith, and Willow Smith, who have much talent inherited through their parents. Smith married another woman before having Jaden and Willow Smith, which was how he had Trey. He then divorced with Trey's mother and married Jada Smith.


Smith's Beliefs and Faithful Duties
     Smith was born and raised as a Baptist Christian from when he was a young child until today. He has mentioned in the past that his faith shaken when his parents were separated when he was a child. However, he has confirmed that he has full faith in God as he had studied many different religions including Scientology. He says that as a true Christian, he/she must be able to have knowledge in the many different fields of beliefs and faith. Smith knows that 98 percent of what he had studied in Scientology was actually based on the Christianity beliefs and were basically referencing the Bible most of the time. Throughout his life, he has earned so much money through his career that he has been ranked as one of the forty richest people on Earth. He has given away millions and millions of dollars in charity to many different mission charities. He also donated millions of dollars to many Christian schools, and Christian missionary trips in which he has attended to two of them.