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Steve Jobs

If Microsoft’s Bill Gates is seen as the philanthropist of the hi-tech world, then Steve Jobs should be awarded the title of Rock star. Indeed this is what he is. From his humble beginnings in his parents garage in California to head the wildly successful Apple Company(a company that he was ousted from in 1986.) By being able to tap into the pulse of what young America wanted with his streamlined products such as the Air Mac and the I phone. There is no doubt that Steve Jobs is a true example of Silicon Valley Royalty.

Born in Wisconsin to an American mother and an Egyptian father, Steve was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs in California. He graduated high school but became a college drop out. He took a job at Atari Inc and struck a close friendship with Steve Wozniak. They formed a club together that was the seed for the creation of Apple Computer Inc in the Jobs family garage. Jobs was only 21 years old.

Apple was the first company to fanfare personal computers. The first was sold for $666.66. Unfortunately Steve was ousted by his job by inter company politics and went on to form NeXT computers which turned out to be an expensive failure. At this time he also formed Pixar Inc, which focused on animation. The studio released those new classics such as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc among others. He was rehired by Apple Computers and has gone on to spear head some of the iconic tech tools of the 21st century. The I-Phone sought after by fashionista will have sold over 14 million units by the end of 2008.

Steve is not considered the easiest person to work with. There was a blog that famously lampooned him and Mad TV had a sketch devoted to his I products.He has suffered with stomach cancer that was treated in 2003. Recently there has been talk that the cancer may have reoccurred which has resulted in the falling of Apples Stock. Being such a celebrity figurehead for his company, works both for and against Apple as a whole. With the success of the I Phone and Mac computers. It would be a harsh blow for the founder to be no more. We wish Steve the best and hope that he continues to serve as a figurehead for innovation in the 21st century.

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Fun Fact

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Miley Cyrus

It’s very few people that haven’t heard of the spunky Miley Cyrus. A phenomenon in her own right, Miley has managed to create a world with her Disney character Hannah Montana and gripped the hearts of young girls that hasn’t been since the rise of the Olsen Twins. Although she has been embroiled in some controversy, her racy photo-sets with Vanity Fair, suggestive photos that leaked online and her sniping you tube video directed to a co star, .it’s still clear that little girls love Hannah Montana.

Miley Cyrus was born Destiny Hope Cyrus, the daughter of the famous Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. She was given the nickname, Miley, because of her propensity to smile when she was younger. She soon became bitten by the singing bug and auditioned for a new Disney show. She won the role even though Disney Executives thought she was too small at the time because of her burst of energy. She had to audition her real life father, Billy Ray, for the role as her on screen father. In 2006 after the first episode of the "Hannah Montana show,"Miley became an overnight success.

She has made three albums in the persona of Hannah Montana and 2 in her own name. She officially changed her name to Miley Ray Cyrus in 2007. Her concert movie made over thirty- million dollars in its first weekend opening (on only 1000 screens.) It’s clear that her fans support her. As a fifth-teen year old she has already been embroiled in some controversy due to pictures that were taken of her by Annie Lebowitz for Vanity Fair. Miley states that it was a mistake that she regrets,
(although it was seen as sullying the Disney brand in a way.) It is clear that the fans have a lot of love for Miley and it hasn’t seemed to affect her in any way what-so-ever.

In 2008 Miley is among the top under twenty-five earners in the world making $18.5 million last year alone.

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Chic & Swag Friday

Masjid Al Haram (Kabah)
Kabah (Grand Mosque in Mecca ) The Kabah is a cube-like structure (dimensions) which is surrounded by an enormous Mosque in Makkah Saudi Arabia. The word ‘Kabah’ is Arabic meaning (appropriately enough) ‘Cube’.All Muslims are expected to pray daily towards the Kabah (wherever they are in the world). Although Muslims pray towards the Kabah, it is important to note that they do not pray to the Kabah. In, this respect, the Kabah acts as a ‘marker’, indicating a consistent direction of prayer for all Muslims, and therefore highlighting the unity of Islamic brotherhood.

Fencing Mask

A fencing mask is a face mask made of fine mesh that is worn over a fencer's face.

Jean-Michel Basquiat

Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–1988) was born and raised in Brooklyn, the son of a Haitian-American father and a Puerto Rican mother. At an early age, he showed a precocious talent for drawing, and his mother enrolled him as a Junior Member of the Brooklyn Museum when he was six. Basquiat first gained notoriety as a teenage graffiti poet and musician. By 1981, at the age of twenty, he had turned from spraying graffiti on the walls of buildings in Lower Manhattan to selling paintings in SoHo galleries, rapidly becoming one of the most accomplished artists of his generation. Astute collectors began buying his art, and his gallery shows sold out. Critics noted the originality of his work, its emotional depth, unique iconography, and formal strengths in color, composition, and drawing. By 1985, he was featured on the cover of The New York Times Magazine as the epitome of the hot, young artist in a booming market. Tragically, Basquiat began using heroin and died of a drug overdose when he was just twenty-seven years old.

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Basquiat

In Italian, 1983. Acrylic, oil paintstick, and marker on canvas mounted on wood supports, two panels. The Stephanie and Peter Brant Foundation, Greenwich, Connecticut

Michael Phelps

Phelps won eight medals in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, which tied him with Soviet gymnast Alexander Dityatin for the most medals of any type in any one Olympics.^[2] Overall, Phelps has won 14 Olympic medals (12 gold, two bronze): eight at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens (six gold, two bronze) and six at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games (all gold, all in world record time),^[3] giving him the most gold medals of any Olympic athlete of the modern Olympic era.

Penthouse Apartment atop Hyde Park, London

One of the four penthouse apartments was sold for over £100 million (over $200 million at the time), making it the most expensive apartment in the world. Each of the four penthouses will have a number of security features, including bulletproof glass, panic rooms and access to an underground passage leading to a nearby hotel.

Other apartments in the building are going for an average of over £20 million (around $40,000,000).

Bradford Hansen-Smith / Modern Day Einstein

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Venus Williams

If breaking ceilings was a job requirement,Venus Williams would be the CEO. Born in the Watts area of Los Angeles, all of the Williams sisters played tennis but only 2 stood out as natural talents. Serena and Venus Williams.

Venus learned to play on the public tennis courts in Compton. Her father coached her in amateur matches. As word began spreading that there was a child prodigy in the making,Venus’s father reached out to Rick Macci and asked him to come and watch Venus play. When Rick went to see Venus,he says that he was unimpressed, until he saw her walking on her hands and then doing back somersaults on her way to the bathroom. He knew he had a star on his hands. The family moved to Florida so that Venus could train and be close to the sports academy that Macci Ran.

By the age of 14, Venus had turned professional. Luckily for her, she has a close knit family who worked hard to protect her from the pitfalls of competitive life. But that also worked against her, as she didn’t have the competitive edge that most other players (on the circuit had.) To counteract that her father used to root for the other player when Venus played. Her father has been seen as a controversial figure, the media even dubbed him as a Svengali figure because of the close way that he directed Venus, but in reality he was a concerned father. He didn’t want her to suffer the burn out that other players had at an early age.

By 1998 Venus was proving herself a formidable opponent and started to win her tournaments. Playing the best in the world –including at times her own sister Serene, Venus slowly moved up the rankings to achieve number one status. One by one the Grand slam tournaments fell at her feet. She won her fifth Wimbledon Grand slam title in July 2008, adding her seventh Grand Slam victory in total. She was able to walk away with nearly two- million in prize money from her singles win and her doubles win (with Serena). The same amount as the men’s title winnings. This was only achieved after years of campaigning by other players, because of an Op-ed that Venus wrote the evening before the Wimbledon finals in 2006. In it she calls for the All England club to ensure that woman are paid the same as men (which they had not been doing.) The British Prime Minister added his voice and within months the All England club changed the rules to allow for the female winners to win as much as the men.

Not so much as breaking ceilings, Miss. Williams totally removes them!

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Fun Facts

Serena and Venus Williams became the first sisters to play for a U.S. singles championship - and did so in the very first Grand Slam tournament final ever scheduled for a prime time national network telecast. On the night of September 8, 2001, Venus won 6-2, 6-4 during the most-watched program on television that evening. And just for the record: the sisters went on to play in finals at the 2002 French Open and Wimbledon, and again at the 2002 U.S. Open.

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Lance Armstrong

The yellow bands that support those living with cancer may have become in ways a cool way to show support for cancer survivors.But there is no doubt that Lance Armstrong has shown in action what it really means to live strong.

Being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1996 must have been a heart stopping moment for Lance. He had been part of sport competitions since the age of eleven. A tri-athlete from the age of thirteen, Lance realized his strength laid in cycling. Lance had already won two stages of the Tour De France in 2005 having decided to focus his attention on bike cycling, after his initial sport pursuits.

Lance is very open about his cancer. As a patient in remission it is his wish for people in general to be educated about cancers in general. When Lance was diagnosed his cancer had already spread to his lungs and brain. Aggressive treatment had to be started and in Lance’s case 4 cycles of chemotherapy, brain surgery and he had to have one of his testicles removed. To others maybe this would be reason alone to be quiet, but Lance feels that it is his responsibility to speak and educate the public.

After his diagnosis Lance went on to win the Tour De France five times, after becoming the first American to win the prestigious race more than twice. Lance was dogged with rumors of drug taking that persisted even after numerous drug tests. He had a high profile relationship with the singer Sheryl Crow and then Kate Hudson, but he is now single and dating. Good news for his legions of adoring female fans!

His charity now known as "Live Strong" is dedicated to educating and bringing people together in knowledge of cancer. Lance definitely has proven that determination can overcome all odds and we sincerely hope that not only does he live strong….but lives long too!

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Quote

“Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever.”

Lance Armstrong

Aung San Su Kyi

Aung was born the daughter of a general. Her father had aided in Burma's independence from the British.He was assassinated by his rivals a year later and she was raised by her mother. She had two brothers, one of whom drowned and one who immigrated to the United States. Her mother soon became involved in Politics and was appointed the Ambassador to India. Aung was educated in India before going on to attain her first degree in Oxford in 1969.She met and married her husband, a professor of Tibetan Culture, Michael Aris in 1972. She had two sons, Alexander born in 1973 and Kim born in 1977.

In 1983, she returned to Burma (now known as Myanmar) in order to take care of her now ailing mother. It was there that she saw firsthand the effects of military rule and decided to become involved. She helped form the National League for Democracy partly because of her desire to see all citizens of Myanmar living in a democratic country and partly as a result of her Buddhist belief of non violence. This was in 1988. In July 1989 she was placed under house arrest for the first time. She was offered freedom if she left the country but she refused.

In 1999 the Junta called for a general election. The National League won and naturally Aung being the leader. She would have been Prime Minister elect, but the junta nullified the election and refused to allow the country to walk down the same road of democracy (which other nations have walked.) In 1991 she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her non violent struggle and human rights. To this day, she is the only recipient to be imprisoned for her beliefs.

The Junta has offered to allow her to leave with the condition that she never returns. She refuses this often as she should. She has suffered great losses because of her convictions.Her husband died of prostate cancer in 1997. She has not seen her sons for years and the toil on her health has been terrible. Yet the Junta refuses to free her. She has had the major world’s leaders campaign for her release but the military refuse to concede. Perhaps they realize, that she is a symbol for freedom, and would rather imprison her like a caged bird than to allow her to roam free.

For 12 years out of the past 18 years, Aung San Su Kyi has been held under house arrest by the military junta of Burma. She has been held captive because she stands for something that the Junta cannot stand for.She stands for freedom!

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Guess What?

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Burma, officially the Union of Myanmar Burmese is the largest country by geographical area in mainland Southeast Asia.

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Mos Def

One of Brooklyn’s most creative sons, Mos Def is certainly one of the best known rappers to come out of the borough. Born Dante Terrell Smith in December 1973, .His rap moniker was born years later in the streets of Brooklyn. With the posturing and bravado of the early rap game, t’s not surprising that he would crown himself the Most Def (Meaning the Best). He has emerged as one of the most conscientious rappers in the game. He converted to Islam at the age of 19 along with his two younger brothers on the behest of his father.

Mos began rapping at the age of 9. He formed his first group with his younger brother, Urban Thermo Dynamics and in 1994 released his first record with the group. He went on to join the Native tongues family that was founded by Afrika Bambata. It included the likes of a Tribe called Quest and De La Soul. He guest starred on a few of their records but used the opportunity to be within a rap clique to hone his lyrical skills. He joined forces with Talia Kweli and formed the group Black Star. With the release of their first album in 1998.Mos quickly became known for his freestyle skills and his positive lyrics.

Not content with success in music, Mos has branched into acting and has built an impressive list of movie credits that include, Be Kind Rewind, The Italian job, 16 Blocks, Journey to the end of the earth, Monsters Ball among others. His television credits include playing side kick to Bill Cosby in the Bill Cosby Mysteries, The Chapelle Show and NYPD Blue. He has hosted Russell Simmons Def Poetry for the past 8 seasons as both host and poet.

Today Mos has over eight movies that he is filming, in production or in pre production. There is no way that anyone could confuse the rapper/actor/activist as being just another run of the mill artist. You could say that he MOS DEFinetly has what it takes to keep rising to the top.

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Guess What?

The Brooklyn Bridge's 486-meter main span was the longest in the world until the completion of the Firth of Forth cantilever bridge in Scotland in 1890. Its deck, supported by four cables, carries both automobile and pedestrian traffic. A distinctive feature is the broad promenade above the roadway, which John Roebling accurately predicted "in a crowded commercial city will be of incalculable value."

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Chic and Swag Friday

Fireworks Light the SkyBEIJING - AUGUST 08: The National Aquatics Center (L) and the National Stadium during the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics on August 8, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)