Life & People

Jensen Ackles (1978- )

Jensen Ackles

Jensen Ross Ackles (born March 1, 1978) is an American actor and director. He is known for his roles in television as Eric Brady in Days of our Lives, which earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations, as well as Alec/X5-494 in Dark Angel and Jason Teague in Smallville. Ackles currently stars as Dean Winchester on the CW series Supernatural.

Adoration

@ Some people will go to the opening of an envelope. They live their lives in the public eye and get off on it, they need it. They need that kind of adoration. If their name isn't in the tabloids once a week they feel like a failure.
Jensen Ackles, in Suprenatural Magazine –December 2013

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

Xi Shi (西施, 506 BC – ?)

Xi Shi (西施, 506 BC – ?)

Xi Shi (Chinese: 西施; pinyin: Xī Shī, 506 BC – ?) was one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China. She was said to have lived during the end of Spring and Autumn Period in Zhuji, the capital of the ancient State of Yue. Her name was Shi Yiguang (施夷光).[1]

Xi Shi's beauty was said to be so extreme that while leaning over a balcony to look at the fish in the pond, the fish would be so dazzled that they forgot to swim and gradually sunk away from the surface. This description serves as the first two characters of the Chinese idiom 沉魚落雁, 閉月羞花 (pinyin: chényú luòyàn, bìyuè xiūhuā), which is used to compliment someone's beauty.

The Story of Xi Shi

King Goujian of Yue, king of Yue, was once imprisoned after a defeat in a war by King Fuchai of Wu, king of the State of Wu. The state of Yue later became a tributary to Wu. Secretly planning his revenge, Goujian's minister Wen Zhong suggested training beautiful women and offering them to Fuchai as a tribute (knowing Fuchai could not resist beautiful women). His other minister, Fan Li, found Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, and gifted them to Fuchai in 490 BC.

Bewitched by the beauty and kindness of Xi Shi and Zheng Dan, Fuchai forgot all about his state affairs and at their instigation, killed his best advisor, the great general Wu Zixu. Fuchai even built Guanwa Palace (Palace of Beautiful Women) in an imperial park on the slope of Lingyan Hill, about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of Suzhou. The strength of Wu dwindled, and in 473 BC Goujian launched his strike and put the Wu army to full rout. King Fuchai lamented that he should have listened to Wu Zixu, and then committed suicide.

In the legend, after the fall of Wu, Fan Li retired from his ministerial post and lived with Xi Shi on a fishing boat, roaming like fairies in the misty wilderness of Taihu Lake, and no one saw them ever again. This is according to Yuan Kang's Yue Jueshu 《越绝书》. Another version, according to Mozi, is that Xi Shi eventually died from drowning in the river. (西施之沈，其美也)

Influence

She is remembered by the Xi Shi Temple, which lies at the foot of the Zhu Luo Hill (苎萝)in the southern part of the city, on the banks of the Huansha River.

The West Lake in Hangzhou is said to be the incarnation of Xi Shi, hence it is also called Xizi Lake, Xizi being another name for Xi Shi, meaning Lady Xi. In his famous work of song poetry, Drinks at West Lake through Sunshine and Rain (飲湖上初睛居雨), renowned scholar Su Dongpo compared Xi Shi's beauty to the West Lake.

Li Bai of the Tang dynasty wrote a poem about Xi Shi.

Imogen Heap released a song in 2012 titled Xizi She Knows after spending time in Hangzhou, China.

The Shih Tzu dog, among other stories, is believed to be an attempt to make a dog as beautiful as Xi Shi.

Other references

There is another well-known figure of unknown origin, probably fictional and parodical, named Dong Shi (東施). The "Dong" in her name means "east" contrasting to Xi Shi's "Xi", which means "west". Apart from her name, she is said to be the exact opposite of Xi Shi in being extremely ugly. This in turn has created the saying "Dong Shi imitates a frown" (东施效颦), whereas Dongshi, being ugly and thus inviting no suitor, emphasized her own ugliness while imitating Xishi's look of sexualized frailty and suffering. The saying has taken on a meaning to signify one's vain attempt imitating another only to emphasize one's own weaknesses.
A tongue twister that works best in Mandarin references XiShi: 西施死時四十四，四十四時西施死。(XīShī sǐ shí sì shí sì, sì shí sì shí XīShī sǐ.) It means Xishi died at (the age of) forty-four, at (age) forty-four Xishi died.

References

[1]^ 古代笔记中的西施归宿之争

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Beauties
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xi_Shi
人物: http://magupeople.blogspot.com/1983/05/xi-shi-506-bc.html

Xhosa people

Xhosa people

The Xhosa (pronounced [kǁʰɔsɑ]) people are speakers of Bantu languages living in south-east South Africa, and in the last two centuries throughout the southern and central-southern parts of the country.
Xhosa-speaking peoples are divided into several tribes with related but distinct heritages. The main tribes are the Mpondo, Mpondomise, Bomvana, Xesibe, and Thembu. In addition, the Bhaca and Mfengu have adopted the Xhosa language.[1] The name "Xhosa" comes from that of a legendary leader called uXhosa. There is also a theory that the word xhosa derives from a word in some Khoi-khoi or San language meaning "fierce" or "angry", the amaXhosa being the fierce people. The Xhosa refer to themselves as the amaXhosa and to their language as isiXhosa.

Presently approximately 8 million Xhosa people are distributed across the country, and Xhosa is South Africa's second most common home language, after Zulu, to which Xhosa is closely related. The pre-1994 apartheid system of Bantustans denied Xhosas South African citizenship, but enabled them to have self-governing "homelands" namely; Transkei and Ciskei, now both a part of the Eastern Cape Province where most Xhosa remain. Many Xhosa live in Cape Town (iKapa in Xhosa), East London (iMonti), and Port Elizabeth (iBhayi).

As of 2003 the majority of Xhosa speakers, approximately 5.3 million, lived in the Eastern Cape, followed by the Western Cape (approximately 1 million), Gauteng (671,045), the Free State (246,192), KwaZulu-Natal (219,826), North West (214,461), Mpumalanga (46,553), the Northern Cape (51,228), and Limpopo (14,225).[2]

Xhosa Proverb

Advice

@ One does not become great by claiming greatness.

References

[1]^ a b c d e f g h i Xhosa, Article at everyculture.com
[2]^ "SouthAfrica.info". SouthAfrica.info. 2003-07-09. Retrieved 2011-12-20.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xhosa_people
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Xhosa_proverbs

Xenophon (430–354 BC)

Xenophon (430–354 BC)

Xenophon (Ancient Greek Ξενοφῶν, Xenophōn; c. 430 – 354 BC), son of Gryllus, of the deme Erchia of Athens, also known as Xenophon of Athens, was a Greek historian, soldier, mercenary, philosopher and a contemporary and admirer of Socrates. He is known for his writings on the history of his own times, the 4th century BC, preserving the sayings of Socrates, and descriptions of life in ancient Greece and the Persian Empire.

Quotes

Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything.

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

W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

W. B. Yeats (1865-1939)

William Butler Yeats ( /ˈjeɪts/ YAYTS; 13 June 1865 – 28 January 1939) was an Irish poet and playwright, and one of the foremost figures of 20th century literature. A pillar of both the Irish and British literary establishments, in his later years he served as an Irish Senator for two terms. Yeats was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and, along with Lady Gregory, Edward Martyn, and others, founded the Abbey Theatre, where he served as its chief during its early years. In 1923 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature as the first Irishman so honoured for what the Nobel Committee described as "inspired poetry, which in a highly artistic form gives expression to the spirit of a whole nation." Yeats is generally considered one of the few writers who completed their greatest works after being awarded the Nobel Prize; such works include The Tower (1928) and The Winding Stair and Other Poems (1929). Yeats was a very good friend of Indian Bengali poet Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore.

Yeats was born and educated in Dublin but spent his childhood in County Sligo. He studied poetry in his youth and from an early age was fascinated by both Irish legends and the occult. Those topics feature in the first phase of his work, which lasted roughly until the turn of the 20th century. His earliest volume of verse was published in 1889 and those slow-paced and lyrical poems display debts to Edmund Spenser, Percy Bysshe Shelley, and the Pre-Raphaelite poets. From 1900, Yeats' poetry grew more physical and realistic. He largely renounced the transcendental beliefs of his youth, though he remained preoccupied with physical and spiritual masks, as well as with cyclical theories of life.

Quotes·Quotation by William Butler Yeats

Education

¶ Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

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

Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph

Quotes·Quotations by Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph from Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

¶ And you're adorable!

¶ It's hard to love your job, when no one else seems to like you for doing it...

Tiger Woods (1975- )

Tiger Woods (1975- )

Eldrick Tont "Tiger" Woods (born December 30, 1975)[4][5] is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful golfers of all time. Currently the World No. 1, he has been one of the highest-paid athletes in the world for several years according to Forbes.

Woods turned professional in 1996, and by April 1997 he had already won his first major, the 1997 Masters in a record-breaking performance, winning the tournament by 12 strokes. He first reached the number one position in the world rankings in June 1997. Through the 2000s, Woods was the dominant force in golf, spending 264 weeks from August 1999 to September 2004 and 281 weeks from June 2005 to October 2010 as world number one. From December 2009 to early April 2010, Woods took leave from professional golf to focus on his marriage after he admitted infidelity. His multiple infidelities were revealed by several different women, through many worldwide media sources.[6] This was followed by a loss of golf form, and his ranking gradually fell to a low of No. 58 in November 2011.[7][8] He ended a career-long winless streak of 107 weeks when he captured the Chevron World Challenge in December 2011.[8] After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational on March 25, 2013, he ascended to the No.1 Ranking once again.

Woods has broken numerous golf records. He has been world number one for the most consecutive weeks and for the greatest total number of weeks of any other golfer. He has been awarded PGA Player of the Year a record eleven times,[9] the Byron Nelson Award for lowest adjusted scoring average a record eight times, and has the record of leading the money list in ten different seasons. He has won 14 professional major golf championships, the second highest of any player (Jack Nicklaus leads with 18), and 79 PGA Tour events, second all time behind Sam Snead.[10] He has more career major wins and career PGA Tour wins than any other active golfer. He is the youngest player to achieve the career Grand Slam, and the youngest and fastest to win 50 tournaments on tour. Additionally, Woods is only the second golfer, after Jack Nicklaus, to have achieved a career Grand Slam three times. Woods has won 18 World Golf Championships, and won at least one of those events in each of the first 11 years after they began in 1999. Woods is the only golfer to win both The Silver Medal and The Gold Medal at The Open Championship.

Quotes·Quotations by Tiger Woods

Attitudes

¶ If you are given a chance to be a role model, I think you should always take it because you can influence a person’s life in a positive light, and that’s what I want to do. That’s what it’s all about.

References

[1]^ This is calculated by adding Woods' 79 PGA Tour victories, 8 regular European Tour titles, 2 Japan Tour wins, 1 Asian Tour crown, and the 16 other wins in his career.
[2]^ These are the 14 majors, 18 WGC events, and his eight tour wins.
[3]^ 2009 European Tour Official Guide Section 4 Page 577 PDF 21[dead link]. European Tour. Retrieved April 21, 2009.
[4]^ Sounes, Howard (2004). The Wicked Game: Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, and the Story of Modern Golf. Harper Collins. pp. 120–121, 293. ISBN 0-06-051386-1.
[5]^ Divorce decree August 23, 2010. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
[6]^ a b c Dahlberg, Tim (December 12, 2009). "Two weeks that shattered the legend of Tiger Woods". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
[7]^ "Westwood becomes world number one". BBC News. October 31, 2010.
[8]^ a b c d "Tiger Woods moves to 50th in rankings". ESPN. November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
[9]^ Kelley, Brent (October 20, 2009). "Woods Clinches PGA Player of the Year Award". About.com: Golf. Retrieved December 2, 2009.
[10]^ "Tracking Tiger". NBC Sports. Retrieved June 3, 2009.

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

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman

Wonder Woman is a fictional character, a DC Comics superheroine created by William Moulton Marston and H. G. Peter. She first appeared in All Star Comics #8 (December 1941). The Wonder Woman title has been published by DC Comics almost continuously except for a brief hiatus in 1986.

Wonder Woman is a warrior Princess of the Amazons (based on the Amazons of Greek mythology) and was created by Marston, an American, as a "distinctly feminist role model whose mission was to bring the Amazon ideals of love, peace, and sexual equality to a world torn by the hatred of men." Known in her homeland as Diana of Themyscira, her powers include superhuman strength, flight (even though the original Wonder Woman did not have this ability), super-speed, super-stamina, and super-agility. She is highly proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in the art of tactical warfare. She also possesses animal-like cunning skills and a natural rapport with animals, which has been presented as an actual ability to communicate with the animal kingdom. She uses her Lasso of Truth, which forces those bound by it to tell the truth, a pair of indestructible bracelets, a tiara which serves as a projectile, and, in some stories, an invisible airplane.

Created during World War II, the character was initially depicted fighting the Axis military forces, as well as an assortment of supervillains. In later decades, some writers maintained the World War II setting, with many of its themes and story arcs, while others updated the series to reflect the present day. Wonder Woman has also regularly appeared in comic books featuring the superhero teams Justice Society (from 1941) and Justice League (from 1960). Arguably the most popular and iconic female superhero in comics, Wonder Woman is also considered a feminist icon. She was named the 20th greatest comic book character by Empire magazine. She was ranked sixth in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

In addition to the comics, the character has appeared in other media; most notably, the 1975–1979 Wonder Woman TV series starring Lynda Carter, as well as animated series such as the Super Friends and Justice League. Although a number of attempts have been made to adapt the character to live-action film, none has yet emerged from development hell. An animated film was released in 2009, with Keri Russell voicing the title role. In 2011, Adrianne Palicki starred in a failed pilot for a would-be series about the character.

In May 2011, Wonder Woman placed fifth on IGN's Top 100 Comic Book Heroes of All Time.

Quotes·Quotations by Wonder Woman

Advice

¶ A new journey to be started. A new promise to be fulfilled. A new page to be written. Go forth unto this waiting world with pen in hand, all you young scribes, the open book awaits. Be creative. Be adventurous. Be original. And above all else, be young. For youth is your greatest weapon, your greatest tool. Use it wisely. [Wonder Woman, # 62 by George Perez, the scene where Vanessa Kapatelis graduates and Diana is hugging her]

Help

¶ Please take my hand. I give it to you as a gesture of friendship and love, and of faith freely given. I give you my hand and welcome you into my dream. [Wonder Woman #167]

Hero

¶ Go in peace my daughter. And remember that, in a world of ordinary mortals, you are a Wonder Woman. [Queen Hippolyta, Wonder Woman]

¶ I am Diana, Princess of the Amazons! I won't be denied! [Justice League, Paradise Lost]

¶ If it means interfering in an ensconced, outdated system, to help just one woman, man or child…I’m willing to accept the consequences. [Wonder Woman #170]

¶ Of all people, you know who I am…who the world needs me to be. I’m Wonder Woman. [Wonder Woman, Infinite Crisis #1]

Love

¶ What was it that John Lennon said? ‘Love is the flower you’ve got to let grow.’ Let it grow already, and quit trying to legislate it! [Wonder Woman, #200]

Men

¶ They can't possibly be that essential to your life. [Justice League, Fury]

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

Naomi Wolf (1962- )

Naomi Wolf

Naomi Rebekah Wolf (born 1962) is an American feminist author, journalist, and conspiracy theorist.[1]

Quotes·Quotations by ***

***

¶

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naomi_Wolf

Beaumont and Fletcher

Beaumont and Fletcher

Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont (1584 – March 6 1616) and John Fletcher (baptized 29 December 1579 - died in August 1625), who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I. There collaboration was so well regarded that works individually authored by either are sometimes errantly reported as having been by the collaboration. These include later collaborations by Fletcher with Nathan Field and Philip Massinger.

Action

@ Of every noble action the intent
Is to give worth reward, vice punishment.
Beaumont and Fletcher, The Captain (c. 1609–12; published 1647), Act V, scene 5.

http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Beaumont_and_Fletcher

Life & People

Pages