Life & People

Rachel Weisz (1970- )

Rachel Weisz (1970- )

Rachel Hannah Weisz ( /ˈvaɪs/ / vice /;[1] born 7 March 1970)[2] is an English film and theatre actress and former fashion model. She started her acting career at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, where she co-founded the theatrical group Cambridge Talking Tongues. The group was awarded the Student Drama Award for the improvised piece Slight Possession during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe by The Guardian.

Weisz started working in television, appearing in Inspector Morse, the British mini-series Scarlet and Black, and the television film Advocates II. She made her film début in the film Death Machine (1994), but her breakthrough role came in the film Chain Reaction (1996), leading to a high-profile role as Evelyn Carnahan-O'Connell in the films The Mummy (1999) and The Mummy Returns (2001). Other notable films featuring Weisz are Enemy at the Gates, About a Boy, Constantine, The Fountain and The Constant Gardener, for which she received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors' Guild award for her supporting role as Tessa Quayle. She has been labelled an "English rose" since her minor role in Stealing Beauty (1996).

Weisz also works in theatre. Her stage breakthrough was the 1994 revival of Noël Coward's play Design for Living, which earned her the London Critics Circle Award for the most promising newcomer. Weisz's performances also include the 1999 Donmar Warehouse production of Tennessee Williams' Suddenly, Last Summer, and their 2009 revival of A Streetcar Named Desire. Her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in the latter play earned her the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Actress.

Quotes·Quotations by Rachel Weisz

Rachel Weisz as Evelyn Carnahan from The Mummy (1999)

¶ If you call that a kiss.

¶ It's just a book. No harm ever came from reading a book.

References

[1]^ Landman, Kyle (5 August 2009). "Rachel Weisz Is Going to Start Correcting People on How to Pronounce Her Last Name". New York (New York Media Holdings). Retrieved 7 March 2011.
[2]^ There are conflicting sources for the year of Weisz' birth. In particular her detailed biography of Weisz at the British Film Institute (Alexander Larman: Weisz, Rachel (1971-)) states 1971 and so does a biographic article in The Guardian ("The Guardian profile: Rachel Weisz") and several other British newspapers. In particular The Evening Standard of 6 March 2006 (Nick Curtis: A taxing issue for partygoers; the oscars diary) claims that Weisz herself gives 1971 as her year of birth. Nevertheless according to official records her date of birth was registered in 1970 (see Births from 1968 to 1972 at http://www.findmypast.co.uk or General Records Office Reference: Name: Rachel Hannah Weisz, mothers maiden name: Teich, District: Westminster, Vol: 5e, Page: 2432). In addition the database entry of the British Film Institute ("BFI Film & TV Database: WEISZ, Rachel". British Film Institute. Retrieved 7 March 2011.) and a more recent article in Time magazine of 26 March 2012 (Mary Pols: Rolling in The Deep) give 1970 as well.

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

Rachel Berry (Glee)

Rachel Berry from Glee

Rachel Barbra Berry is a fictional character and de facto female lead from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actress Lea Michele, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Rachel was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. She is the glee club star of the fictional William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, where the show is set. Her storylines have seen her suffer peer alienation due to her Broadway ambitions, and develop romantic feelings for Jesse St. James (Jonathan Groff), a member of rival glee club Vocal Adrenaline, but primarily for quarterback and glee club co-captain Finn Hudson (Cory Monteith), to whom she eventually becomes engaged.

Michele bases Rachel on herself when she was younger, and also draws inspiration for the character variously from films including Election, and television portrayals such as the Gossip Girl character Blair Waldorf. Michele has said that she draws on a lot of vulnerability playing Rachel, much like Blair Waldorf. She noted, "Rachel will never be popular because her looks aren't considered beautiful, and when I was in high school it was the same for me. I didn't get a nose job, and every single girl around me did. Therefore, I was out." Michele added, "What's so great about Glee is that it shows you how that kind of stuff hurts, but it doesn't matter: You can still be who you want to be."

Rachel is a "strong, driven girl" but somewhat neurotic, and Glee follows Rachel's journey to become more of a team player as well as fulfill her own aspirations. Michele was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2010, and for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy in 2010 and 2011 for her performance in the role. Rachel has received mostly positive reviews from critics: Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune praised Michele for making the character "more than a humorless stereotype", though The Wall Street Journal's Raymund Flandez has described Rachel as "insufferable". Several songs performed by Michele as Rachel have been released as singles, available for digital download, and also feature on the show's soundtrack albums.

Quotes·Quotations by Rachel Berry

Lea Michele as Rachel Berry from Glee (2009)

¶ Now-a-days being anonymous is worse than being poor. Fame is the most important thing in our culture now. And if there is one thing I've learned it is that no one is just going to hand it to you.

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

Rachel Nichols (1980- )

Rachel Nichols (1980- )

Rachel Emily Nichols (born January 8, 1980) is an American actress and model. Nichols began modeling while attending Columbia University in New York City in the late 1990s. She transitioned into television and film acting in the early 2000s; she had a bit part in the romantic drama film Autumn in New York (2000) and a one-episode role in the fourth season of the hit show Sex and the City (2002).

Her first major role was in the comedy film Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd (2003). She had the main role in the crime drama television series The Inside (2005), though it was cancelled after one season. Nichols gained recognition playing Rachel Gibson in the final season of the serial action television series Alias (2005–2006) and for her role in the horror film The Amityville Horror (2005).

Nichols' first starring film role was in the horror–thriller P2 (2007). She had a supporting role in the coming-of-age film The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) and appeared in Star Trek (2009). She starred in the action film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009) and the sword and sorcery film Conan the Barbarian (2011).

Quotes·Quotations by Rachel Nichols

Rachel Nichols as Scarlett (Shana M. O'Hara) from G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

¶ Ripcord: Look, I think you and me got off on the wrong foot. See, I'm attracted to you. And you, you're attracted to me. And him, the damn Zen master, he creeps me out. What I'm trying to say is...
Scarlett: We're attracted to each other.
Ripcord: Thank you!
Scarlett: That's what you're saying. It's not what I'm saying.
Ripcord: It's not. So, what are you saying?
Scarlett: Attraction is an emotion. Emotions are not based on science. And if you can't quantify or prove that something exists, well, then in my mind, it doesn't.
Ripcord: Okay. I'll get back to you on that one.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Nichols_(actress)

Qu Yuan (屈原, 343–278 BCE)

Qu Yuan (343–278 BCE)

Qu Yuan (Chinese: 屈原; pinyin: Qū Yuán; Wade–Giles: Ch'ü Yüan; EFEO: K'iu Yuan) (343–278 BCE)[1][2][3] was a Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States Period of ancient China. He is known for his contributions to classical poetry and verses, especially through the poems of the Chu Ci anthology (also known as The Songs of the South or Songs of Chu): a volume of poems attributed to or considered to be inspired by his verse writing. Together with the Shi Jing, the Chu Ci is one of the two great collections of ancient Chinese verse.

Historical details about Qu Yuan's life are few, and his authorship of many Chu Ci poems have been questioned at length.[4] However, he is widely accepted to have written Li Sao, the most well-known of the Chu Ci poems, and possibly several others in the collection, as well. The first known reference to Qu Yuan appears in a poem written in 174 BCE by Jia Yi, an official from Luoyang who was slandered by jealous officials and banished to Changsha by Emperor Wen of Han. While traveling, he wrote a poem describing the similar fate of a previous "Qu Yuan."[5] Eighty years later, the first known biography of Qu Yuan's life appeared in Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian's Records of the Grand Historian, though it contains a number of contradictory details.[6]

Notes

[1]^ Classe, Olive (2000). Encyclopedia of Literary Translation into English, Volume 2. Taylor & Francis. p. 1506. ISBN 9781884964367.
[2]^ Stephen Owen, ed. (2008). The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Volume 1. Cambridge University Press. p. 76. ISBN 9780521855587.
[3]^ Judge, 55
[4]^ Zhao Kuifu 趙逵夫, "Riben xin de Qu Yuan fouding lun Chansheng de Lishi Beijing yu Sixiang Genyuan Chutan" 日本新的 “屈原否定論” 產生的歷史背景與思想根源初探, in Fuyin Baokan Ziliao, Zhongguo Gudai Jindai Wenxue Yanjiu 複印報刊資料，中國古代近代文學研究, (1995: 10): 89–93.
[5]^ Quoted in Ban Gu's Book of Han biography of Jia Yi 《漢書·賈誼傳》, also appears in Wenxuan, "Diào Qū Yuán fù" 弔屈原賦.
[6]^ Hawkes, David. Ch'u tz'u: The Songs of the South, an Ancient Chinese Anthology. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1959), 52.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu_Yuan
People: 屈原 (Qu Yuan)
China: 屈原 (Qu Yuan)
人物: 屈原 (Qu Yuan, 굴원)

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Queen Elizabeth I (1533-1603)

Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called "The Virgin Queen", "Gloriana" or "Good Queen Bess", Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed two and a half years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her half-brother, Edward VI, bequeathed the crown to Lady Jane Grey, cutting his two half-sisters, Elizabeth and the Catholic Mary, out of the succession in spite of statute law to the contrary. His will was set aside, Mary became queen, and Lady Jane Grey was executed. In 1558, Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.

Elizabeth set out to rule by good counsel,[1] and she depended heavily on a group of trusted advisers led by William Cecil, Baron Burghley. One of her first moves as queen was the establishment of an English Protestant church, of which she became the Supreme Governor. This Elizabethan Religious Settlement later evolved into today's Church of England. It was expected that Elizabeth would marry and produce an heir so as to continue the Tudor line. She never did, however, despite numerous courtships. As she grew older, Elizabeth became famous for her virginity, and a cult grew up around her which was celebrated in the portraits, pageants, and literature of the day.

In government, Elizabeth was more moderate than her father and half-siblings had been.[2] One of her mottoes was "video et taceo" ("I see, and say nothing").[3] In religion she was relatively tolerant, avoiding systematic persecution. After 1570, when the pope declared her illegitimate and released her subjects from obedience to her, several conspiracies threatened her life. All plots were defeated, however, with the help of her ministers' secret service. Elizabeth was cautious in foreign affairs, moving between the major powers of France and Spain. She only half-heartedly supported a number of ineffective, poorly resourced military campaigns in the Netherlands, France, and Ireland. In the mid-1580s, war with Spain could no longer be avoided, and when Spain finally decided to attempt to conquer England in 1588, the failure of the Spanish Armada associated her with one of the greatest military victories in English history.

Elizabeth's reign is known as the Elizabethan era, famous above all for the flourishing of English drama, led by playwrights such as William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, and for the seafaring prowess of English adventurers such as Sir Francis Drake. Some historians are more reserved in their assessment. They depict Elizabeth as a short-tempered, sometimes indecisive ruler,[4] who enjoyed more than her share of luck. Towards the end of her reign, a series of economic and military problems weakened her popularity. Elizabeth is acknowledged as a charismatic performer and a dogged survivor, in an age when government was ramshackle and limited and when monarchs in neighbouring countries faced internal problems that jeopardised their thrones. Such was the case with Elizabeth's rival, Mary, Queen of Scots, whom she imprisoned in 1568 and eventually had executed in 1587. After the short reigns of Elizabeth's half-siblings, her 44 years on the throne provided welcome stability for the kingdom and helped forge a sense of national identity.[2]

Quotes·Quotations by Queen Elizabeth I

Past

¶ The past cannot be cured.

Notes

[1]^ "I mean to direct all my actions by good advice and counsel." Elizabeth's first speech as queen, Hatfield House, 20 November 1558. Loades, 35.
[2]^ a b Starkey Elizabeth: Woman, 5.

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

Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

Queen Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India.

Victoria was the daughter of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn, the fourth son of King George III. Both the Duke of Kent and the King died in 1820, and Victoria was raised under close supervision by her German-born mother Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. She inherited the throne at the age of 18 after her father's three elder brothers died without surviving legitimate issue. The United Kingdom was already an established constitutional monarchy, in which the Sovereign held relatively few direct political powers. Privately, she attempted to influence government policy and ministerial appointments. Publicly, she became a national icon, and was identified with strict standards of personal morality.

She married her first cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, in 1840. Their nine children and 26 of their 34 grandchildren who survived childhood married into royal and noble families across the continent, tying them together and earning her the nickname "the grandmother of Europe". After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria plunged into deep mourning and avoided public appearances. As a result of her seclusion, republicanism temporarily gained strength, but in the latter half of her reign, her popularity recovered. Her Golden and Diamond Jubilees were times of public celebration.

Her reign of 63 years and 7 months, which is longer than that of any other British monarch and the longest of any female monarch in history, is known as the Victorian era. It was a period of industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military change within the United Kingdom, and was marked by a great expansion of the British Empire. She was the last British monarch of the House of Hanover; her son and successor Edward VII belonged to the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

Quotes·Quotation

Victory·Defeat

¶ We are not interested in the possibilites of defeat.

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

Qin Gang (秦剛)

Qin Gang (秦剛)

Qin Gang (秦刚) is the official PRC Foreign Ministry Spokesman.

Quotes·Quotations by Qin Gang (秦剛)

Japan

¶ The essence of Japanese leaders' visits to the Yasukuni shrine is to beautify Japan's history of militaristic aggression and colonial rule. It is an attempt to overturn international society's just ruling on Japan's militarism and to challenge the results of World War II and the post-war international order. [Dec 26, 2013, immediately after Abe's visit to the shrine]

¶ We strongly protest and seriously condemn the Japanese leader's acts. [Dec 26, 2013, immediately after Abe's visit to the shrine]

Nami (ナミ) from One Piece (ワンピース)

Nami
by
Eiichiro Oda

From
Wikipedia

Nami (ナミ) from One Piece (ワンピース)

Nami (Japanese: ナミ) is a fictional character in the One Piece franchise created by Eiichiro Oda. She is based on Ann and Silk, two characters from Oda's previous manga Romance Dawn. She is introduced as a thief and pickpocket who possesses skills to tell the climate and draw sea charts. At first, she is a subordinate of the fishman Arlong, but she is eventually freed of this service and permanently joins Monkey D. Luffy for her dream to write the complete map of the Grand Line. She is the first main character to appear in the anime series (excluding the intro).

Quotes·Quotations by Nami from One Piece

Strange

¶ Zoro: Oh crap I'm going to faint! I can't move!
Nami: Of course. If you could move, you guys wouldn't be human.
Luffy: Why was I included?
Nami: YOU are the strangest of them all!(mad)
[1.8 Show Down Between the True Powers of the Devil]

Fair Use Rationale for Nami (One Piece)

Though this image is subject to copyright, its use is covered by the U.S. fair use laws when:

. It illustrates an educational article about the television show from which the screenshot was taken.
. The use of the film poster illustration will not affect the value of the original work or limit the copyright holder's rights or ability to distribute the original. In particular, copies could not be used to make illegal copies of the television show.
. It is a low resolution image.
. It is not replaceable with an uncopyrighted or freely copyrighted image of comparable educational value.

Sources / References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nami_(One_Piece)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Nami_face.jpg

P. J. O'Rourke

P. J. O'Rourke

Quotes·Quotations by P. J. O'Rourke

Appearance

@ The weirder you're going to behave, the more normal you should look. It works in reverse, too. When I see a kid with three or four rings in his nose, I know there is absolutely nothing extraordinary about that person.

¶

P.C Cast (1960- )

P.C Cast (1960- )

Phyllis Christine Cast[3] (born 1960) is an American romance/fantasy author, known for the House of Night series she writes with her daughter Kristin Cast, as well as her own Goddess Summoning and Partholon book series.[4]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._C._Cast

Biography

P.C. Cast was born in the Midwest, and grew up being shuttled back-and-forth between Illinois and Oklahoma, which is where she fell in love with Quarter Horses and mythology (at about the same time). After high school she joined the United States Air Force and began public speaking and writing. After her tour in the USAF, she taught high school for 15 years before retiring to write full time. Ms. Cast is a New York Times Best-Selling author and a member of the Oklahoma Writers Hall of Fame. Her novels have been awarded the prestigious: Oklahoma Book Award, YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, the Prism, Holt Medallion, Daphne du Maurier, Booksellers’ Best, and the Laurel Wreath. P.C. Cast is an experienced teacher and talented speaker. If your organization is interested in information about her appearances, please contact her publicist, Sherry Rowland, at lsherryr@aol.com Ms. Cast lives in Oklahoma with her fabulous daughter, her spoiled cat, her adorable Scotties, and a bunch of not totally normal horses!

http://www.pccast.net/biography.html

Quotes·Quotations by P.C. Cast

Beauty

¶ The best part of beauty is that which no picture can express.

References

[1]^ Zi de nastere pe Amazon
[2]^ (English)Interviu cu P.C. Cast si Kristin Cast
[3]^ Vit Wagner, "Fame's at stake for Cast of two: Mother and daughter team's vampire formula", Toronto Star, March 29, 2009.
[4]^ a b c d Constance Drogranes,"Vampire love spikes in new book 'Hunted'", CTV News, March 26, 2009.

http://www.pccast.net/biography.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._C._Cast

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