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George Lucas Biography

Film director, writer, and producer. Born May 14, 1944, in Modesto, California. His parents sold retail office supplies and owned a walnut ranch in California. His experiences growing up in the sleepy suburb of Modesto and his early passion for cars and motor racing would eventually serve as inspiration for his Oscar-nominated low-budget phenomenon, American Graffiti (1973).

Before young Lucas became obsessed with the movie camera, he wanted to be a race car driver, but a near fatal accident in his souped-up Fiat just days before his high school graduation quickly changed his mind. Instead, he attended community college and developed a passion for cinematography and camera tricks. Following the advice of a friend, he transferred to the University of Southern California filmmaking school. There he produced a short futuristic Sci-Fi film called THX-1138:4EB, and garnered a comfortable spot under the wing of Francis Ford Coppola, who took an active interest in unleashing new filmmaking talent. Coppola convinced Warner Brothers to make a feature length version of the film, and although a few critics recognized some philosophical depth behind all the technical wizardry, THX-1138 (re-titled) flopped terribly in its 1971 release.

Although intimidated by the failure of his first film, Lucas went back to work on his next project, American Graffiti. Released in 1973, the film featured such burgeoning young talents as Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfuss, and Harrison Ford, and was recognized as a stunning portrait of listless American youth in 1962 depicting, in Lucas' own words, "a warm, secure, uninvolved life." The film, made for only $780,000, grossed $50 million in the box office. It was nominated in five categories at that year's Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Screenplay, and Best Director for Lucas, and is still considered one of the most successful low budget features ever made.

Now that Lucas had won back the confidence of his supporters, he set out to make a children's Saturday morning serial that would be part fairy tale, part Flash Gordon, and complete fantasy and adventure set in the imaginary frontier of outer space. The project eventually evolved into a full-length feature entitled, Star Wars. In its 1977 release, Star Wars blew audiences away with its awe-inspiring special affects, fantastical landscapes, captivating characters (the erroneous pairing of two bumbling droids providing, ironically, the most heart and comic relief), and the familiar resonance of popular myth and fairy tale. Made for $11 million, the film grossed over $513 million worldwide during its original release. Lucas continued the story of the Jedi Knights and the Dark Side in The Empire Strike Back (1980) and The Return of the Jedi (1983). In the meantime, he set up a state-of-the-art special effects company, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), as well as a sound studio, Skywalker Sound, and began to execute more and more control over the finished product of his films. He eventually built his own moviemaking "empire" outside of the controlling influence of Hollywood in the hills of Marin Country, California.

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

his is one of the most venerated marvels among the seven wonders of world.

Location:
This wonder of the world was located in the east bank of Euphrates, South of Baghdad in Iraq.

Description:

The King Hammurabi is the most famous king of the Babylonian kingdom. The whole kingdom flourished under his rule. His son Nebuchadnezzar is the one who built the Hanging gardens of Babylon, one of the Seven wonders of world.
Nebuchadnezzar ruled the country for 43 years from 605 BC. He constructed impressive array of temples, palaces and streets. It is being told that he built this garden to please his wife, Amyitis. Amyitis, daughter of the king Medes seems to have had a passion for mountainous surroundings. There are some other accounts which say that this wonder of the world was actually built by the Assyrian Queen Semiramis.
The ancient accounts of this hanging gardens (one of the seven wonders of the world) describes the structure to be a stairs like one. The Greek geographer Strabo, describes it as , "the garden consists of vaulted terraces raised one above another, and resting upon cube-shaped pillars. These are hollow and filled with earth to allow trees of the largest size to be planted. The pillars, the vaults, and terraces are constructed of baked brick and asphalt."
The irrigation system was supposedly the complex part built on this gardens. This region had very scarce rains. Slaves were used to push the water upwards using some ancient method of irrigation. Of course there must be some exploitation of slave labor to maintain one among the seven wonders of the world. The gardens did not really hang on the roof using cables or ropes. But this name from the sense that it was built on the roof top. Some accounts state that the gardens are 400 by 400 feet and 80 feet high.

Jodie Foster Best Actress Biography

Née Alicia Christian Foster, Jodie was born November 19, 1962, in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Lucius, left the family before her birth, leaving Alicia and her three siblings to be raised by their Hollywood publicist mother, Evelyn Foster. Given her occupation, Evelyn had little problem finding acting work for those of her children that expressed interest in taking it on, and Alicia made her first on-screen appearance at the age of three, in a Coppertone sunscreen commercial.

becoming jodie

Further commercial work followed, as did small roles on television series such as Mayberry R.F.D. and The Partridge Family, and Foster made her debut film appearance in 1972, in Disney's Napoleon and Samantha. Even as she was becoming immersed in the medium that the public would come to know her through, Foster acquired the name she would be known by, as her family took to addressing her by a shortened version of the name of a family friend. Josephine D., a longtime acquaintance of Evelyn Foster's had come to be known as Jo D., and Alicia Foster subsequently became Jodie Foster.

Foster's interest in acting did not wane as she entered her teenage years, and she continued her film work, albeit for the most part restricted to quirky roles in children's movies. Foster enjoyed an advantage over other child actors in that her performances were not restricted to a single language: a student at Los Angeles' Lycée Francais, Jodie's French was sufficiently fluent by age 14 for her to win a role in 1977's Moi, Fleur Bleue, as well as a number of other French films.

Yet Foster's childhood success should not be solely attributed to her linguistic abilities. Even before her appearance in Moi, Fleur Bleue, Foster had demonstrated an acting talent impressive enough to earn a casting call to 1976's Taxi Driver. The film proved to be a contemporary classic, and Foster's role in it, as a teenage prostitute, won her critical acclaim as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. By age 14, Foster had made the big break that most seasoned actors envy.

top of the class

Throughout the remainder of her high school years, Foster persisted in expanding her professional experience with film and television appearances, although none would quite rival the impact that Taxi Driver had on the public (although she was considered for the role of Princess Leia in Star Wars).

While tending to her burgeoning career, Foster continued to attend courses at the Lycée Francais, and in 1980 accomplished the feat of not merely graduating on schedule, but as class valedictorian. Her academic accolades were acknowledged, and Foster was accepted at Yale University, where she began attending lectures in English Literature that fall.
professional turmoil

In a 1982 article she wrote for Esquire magazine, Foster recalled her primary challenge in attending Yale was simply blending into the student body, in spite of the fame her profession had brought her. This endeavor was severely compromised in the spring of 1981, when a certain John Hinckley launched her into the public eye. Obsessed with Foster's character in Taxi Driver, Hinckley had written her a number of letters before embarking on an attempted assassination of President Ronald Reagan as a means of catching her attention.

The attempt was a failure, and led to the discovery of photographs of Foster and her college address in his motel room, and days of grilling by the press and federal agencies. Matters were further complicated with the capture of a second stalker, Edward Richardson, and the experience was more than enough to prompt Foster to retreat from the public spotlight. She became, and remains to this day, one of Hollywood's most private celebrities.
critics silence-d

Foster's decision to shield her personal life did not impinge on her professional career, and she continued to do film and television appearances until her 1985 graduation, with honors, from Yale. By this point Foster was a seasoned veteran in the entertainment industry and had little trouble finding consistent work, although a follow-up to Taxi Driver continued to elude her.

Her patience was rewarded in 1988, when she was cast as rape victim Sarah Tobias in The Accused. The movie was well received, and Foster's performance in it earned her a Golden Globe, a National Board of Review Award as well as an Oscar for Best Actress. Her reputation consolidated, Foster went on to her next Oscar-winning performance, as FBI rookie agent Clarice Starling in 1991's The Silence of the Lambs. This particular Best Actress Academy Award marked her third nomination and her second trophy before the age of 30, a first among Hollywood women.

Having established herself as a high-caliber actor, Foster expanded her professional experience in 1991, founded a production company -- Egg Productions -- and made her directorial debut with Little Man Tate, which she also starred in. She again assumed the role of a prostitute in 1992 in Woody Allen's Shadows and Fog, and directed her second film, Nell, in 1994, the same year she starred in the comedy Maverick alongside Mel Gibson.


private prowess

By the late '90s, with a wealth of experience and acclaim behind her, Foster was in a position to pick and choose roles. In doing so, she exhibited a sense of integrity rare in celebrity circles, reserving her performances to those instances where it was the character, rather than the monetary compensation, that stimulated her. After a role in 1997's Contact, Foster rejected an offer to reprise her role as Clarice Starling in the sequel to The Silence of the Lambs -- Hannibal -- initially citing issues with the character's development but then claiming scheduling conflicts as her reason for doing so.
Although the former was her official reason, many took the latter as the true one, praising it as testament to her unique approach to her craft. Foster's next appearance was in 1999, in Anna and the King. Already acknowledged as one of the most powerful women in the industry, this role made her one of the most highly paid, earning her $15 million.

After a brief reprieve from film work, Jodie made her return to the big screen in 2002, subbing in for an injured Nicole Kidman in David Fincher's box-office hit, Panic Room. A number of other projects are currently in the works: Foster will be providing her voice for DreamWorks' animated feature Tusker, to be released in 2003, and is currently directing Claire Danes in the movie, Flora Plum. She also recently acquired the film rights to the Margaret Atwood novel Alias Grace, and has long fostered plans to direct, produce and star in a biography of controversial filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl.

Since her Yale days, Jodie has continued to foster a private personal life. She has given birth to two sons since 1998 and raised them both as a single mother, keeping the identity of the father(s) secret. To this day she refuses to comment on the John Hinckley incident, and, for the most part, restricts her interviews to questions regarding her professional accomplishments, of which there is an abundance to discuss.

Yelle Franch singer biography

Born and raised in Brittany, France, Yelle is known for her spirited, explicit lyrics, laid over a booty-shaking pop electro beat. This musical prowess was expertly showcased in 2005 with the track "Je Veux Te Voir" ("I Wanna See You"). The minute this humorous track (taking a friendly jab at French rapper Cuizinier) was placed on her MySpace page (www.myspace.com/iloveyelle), it garnered 2000 plays in just two days.
Yelle grew up with music, her dad being a famous musician in the Côtes d'Armor region, where she still lives today. She played the piano, then went on to acting, and played in a few bands that never made it past the rehearsals, but whatever: she knew she was a born performer.

Five years ago, she met GrandMarnier at a party. This young musician and producer, was going back and forth between his own band and his dorm room where he was making beats on his computer. Although his teens were all about rock music, he was drawn to electronic music after listening to the Beastie Boys and started mucking around with his machines. Yelle started singing on GrandMarnier's demos just for a laugh at first, but the combination of the boy's electronic loops and the girl's half-sung half-rapped voice worked so well that they naturally ended up producing an electro pop album all in French if you please. Yelle's golden voice was in the house!

Last autumn, for her first show, Yelle, bold and audacious, was invited to Paris Paris, one of Paris' trendiest venues, packed on the occasion and waiting to hear the young provincial's crazy lyrics and off the hook loops. The set, very rock and in-your-face, was a success as the crowd all joined in to sing the lyrics to "Je veux te voir…." ("I wanna see you") becoming in just a few months a cult hit on dance floors from Paris to London and New York… Now very much at ease on stage with her fluorescent tights, the brunette with attitude drops her first album, which echoes a certain nostalgia for the golden years of French electro-pop (Etienne Daho, Elli & Jacno, Alain Chamford, Taxi Girl or Lio) but all boosted with her own flavored groove and subtle vibe into some booty-pop, revealing the story of a shameless girl with a strong character.

So "85A" (a French breast measurement), very close to the tune of "Banana Split" is dedicated to small breasts (Pamela would never have given me self confidence on that side. Thankfully Jane Birkin was a classier woman). "Les Femmes" ("Women") slyly talks about lesbian temptation, while "Mon Meilleur Ami" ("My Best Friend") and its bouncy keyboards is an ode to dildos (you are all so small, my best friend, I take you with me everywhere I go. I talk to you like you are a sweet and sensitive man; the only thing that annoys me about you is I have to change your batteries). Yelle has broken away from feminine insecurity, no more nostalgia! (I sing in 80s French, I don't look back to the past, but there were still good times back then" she sings in "Amour Du Sol" literally "Love Of The Soil"). Yelle is a liberated woman and speaks freely, whether it be about sex, jogging, boys who drive her crazy or her best friend. Yelle, winks at boys like a playful brat, but still casts a very cynical eye to the world surrounding her.
Yelle may be young and pretty but she is also a very explosive character entering a slightly rigid French pop scene. This stage freak with a unique flow is fully driving the new non-aggressive girl power scene, focusing on delivering kick-ass lyrics. She also doesn't take herself seriously and is refreshingly laidback, especially when she proudly covers the song "A Cause Des Garcons" ("What We Do For Boys") a French ‘80s anthem. Let's all sing along to the lyrics: (What we do for boys, we wear stockings, we fight each other, boys make us worry, we cry all the time, that's what we do for boys").

Carla Bruni franch singer biography

Carla Bruni Tedeschi was born the 23rd of December 1968, in Turin, Italy. The heiress of a tire manufacturing fortune from her native city, Carla probably didn't even need to pursue the lucrative modeling career she presently has, considering the fortune that awaited her. Bruni's high-profile affairs with rock stars Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton and tycoon Donald Trump have made her a favorite item in celebrity gossip columns and tabloids around the world. BusinessAge magazine listed Bruni as one of the world's top-20 highest-paid models, with a yearly salary of $7.5 million (1998). She appeared in Catwalk (1995), Robert Leacock's documentary about the modeling industry and in 1998, Versace choose her as the model for the company's fragance ads.

She is a French citizen and is currently the First Lady of France, after marrying French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February 2008.

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Seven Wonders of World - Great Wall of China

The Great wall of china as called is the largest building construction ever carried out, running to around 6,400 Km east to west from gulf of china to the yellow sea to a point in Central Asia. The construction of this fortification dates from 4th century B.C. shih Huang-ti in 214 B.C.

First Construction of the Great Wall:

The first emperor of United China connected the discontinuous walls with watch towers with was used to guard as the rampart. It was mainly built against Hsiung-nu or called he Huns. The wall was constructed partly of masonry and partly of earth and was faced with brick in the eastern portion. It was again rebuilt in the 15th and 16th century. The basic Wall is 30feet height and the towers are 40m high. The great wall lies from 39.49 degrees North to 98.18 degrees East. The Yen Mountains are the world famous ones and has peak up to 4,900 feet above main sea level. The great wall has it crest over these mountains in a zigzag manner. According to the words of the Astronauts and space researchers, the only clear and visible one from the moon on earth is only “The Great Wall”. A statement said “The Great wall is the only visible thing from Satellite”.

Chiese Civilization:

China was the only country with the oldest civilization and it led up to 2000 Years from 221 B.C. to 1911 A.D. and remained as a united one until the series of powerful rules. The great walls construction was carried on only during this period and the main reason why the wall bent at some occasions was this because the capitals were shifted, the borders were changed and mainly the country was captured by fierce tribes of the period including the Mongols and however for the most of the history of china, it was the only developed country of that period in art and technology only because of its construction of the great wall. The inventions of paper, porcelain and gunpowder were the main during the construction of the great wall. The inventions of paper, porcelain and gun power were the main construction items used during the construction of great wall.

After the construction of the great wall the Qin empire was the first empire to be protected by the great wall which is now the northern and eastern china. The wall was built there as a defense against the Hostile tribal attacks from central Asia. The Qin warriors used to walk on the walls as security and the warriors from the great wall attacked the enemies and this was mainly the reason for the expansion of their empire. The great wall is still now the longest man made structure on earth. It was built before 2,200 years with about 3,00,000 slaves. More than 90% of the slaves who built the great wall were brought from Macao a tiny peninsula in the southeast china and was a Portuguese colony at that time. It was returned back to china in 1999. It was a famous tourist center at that time and cheap labor was available there.

Seven Wonders of the World - Statue of Zeus

This is one of the interesting stories to know about. This statue is associated with our favorite Olympic games which is being a widely watched event all over the world. The only sporting marvel among all the seven wonders of world

Location:
Olympia the ancient Greek city.

Description:
In ancient times the Greek city states used to play games every 4 years. This is what is now called as Olympic games. During those times truce is declared and wars are stopped. Players and athletes from all over the places traveled to a place in Greece called Peloponnesus. These Olympic games were started during 776 BC. Incidentally this is the period when Green calendar starts. These Olympic games were held in honour of their King of gods, Zeus. He is also known as God of Jupiter.
During the 5th century, they decided to have a temple for their king of gods and Libon was assigned the task of completing the work. Libon designed the temple and Pheidias was asked to build a big statue for Zeus. Pheidias had good techniques with him to build big statues. He used wooden frame to make the outer casings for the statues in gold. His workshop still remains and incidentally its size can accommodate building of such big statues. He built a statue of approximately 40 ft height.

The statue was so high that, even while sitting the head of the god Zeus was near the roof of the temple. This is what amazed the historians and poets of those times. This simply illustrates that the god Zeus is so big that even if he stands, the whole roof would come off its place. Zeus was seated on a throne, draped in gold robe. Zeus had a wreath around his head and held a figure of his messenger in his right hand.
The statue, one among the seven wonders of world was occasionally presented with gifts from rulers. The most notable one was the woolen curtain dedicated by the Syrian king.
In the I century AD, Roman emperor Caligula tried to take the statue to Rome but failed. But before 5th century AD, wealthy Greeks have moved it to Constantinople which saved the statue for some more years. After that a severe fire has destroyed the statue. Even before this the temple site was ravaged by floods, landslides and earthquakes to the extent that the structure was badly damaged. Now the remnants of this statue, one among the seven wonders of world have gone without even a small trace except for the reproduction in some of the medieval coins.
Seven Wonders of the World - Statue of Zeus
Seven Wonders of the World - Statue of Zeus
Seven Wonders of the World - Statue of Zeus
Seven Wonders of the World - Statue of Zeus