| ~*~Haute Couture For The Procreator's Soul~*~ | EXTRA, EXTRA....
Welcome to Peripheral Gravity, The A Mommy's World monthly newsletter/zine!
Please take the time to read each article.
Our editorial staff puts their heart and souls into this newsletter every month.
This issue has a lot of valuable information!
We have added many, many new and fantastic sections to Peripheral Gravity this month.
In this edition of Peripheral Gravity you will read about and find... Art, Literature, Music, Movies, T.V., History, Astrology, Astronomy, Famous people, Recipes, Crafts, Parenting, Pregnancy, Moms, Dads, Sex, Books, Gaming, Celebrity Gossip, Religion, Health, Fitness, Gardening, AMW contests, AMW news and contest info. and much much more!
Each section is quite long and informative, be sure to really check it all out!
For simple navigation please use the Navigation Table and click on the name of the section you wish to view, then click on (return to menu) after viewng that section. Repeat.
Please let us know what you thought of Peripheral Gravity's January 2007 issue.
Tell us what you thought of the graphics, colors, articles, sections and overall.
Email your comments, questions, ideas, and suggestions by clicking here!
Thank you,
Kat |
| ~*~Quote Of The Moment~*~ | |
| ◊Crisp New Air◊
Happy New Year! We made it another year. I think we all deserve a big pat on the back!
January is a time for new beginnings and a clean slate. Take the time this month to reflect on yourself and the new year that has just began. Anything that you did not accomplish before in your life could be accomplished this year. This is a great time to start a diet, quit smoking, change things about yourself or the way you think and do things. This year is a good year to start learning something new. I hope everyone had a great time over the holidays. I hope all your wishes and dreams come true. I also hope that we can make AMW 1000 times better than it was in the previous years. It is time for hard work and vast accomplishments. Thank you for being a member of this fantastic little empire we call A Mommy's World
Happy New Year
Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
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Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
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◊Baby Of The Month◊
Osker
Son of Jennibarger | ◊Toddler Of The Month◊
Shaye
Daughter of DaniMacNAngel | ◊Big Kid Of The Month◊
Kendle
Daughter of sen32127 |
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◊The Horror Channel◊
This month's featured forum is The Horror Channel. Come walk through a spooky maze of mayhem in the terror inferno of horror and madness. Come one come all and discuss horror movies and all they entail! Also horror books, music, poems,games,video games, folklore, ghost stories, legends,halloween, spooky, witches, eery, scary, terror, thriller, suspense,rocky horror picture show and other cult classics anything horror or spooky! Horror Punk, Death Rock, HorrorBilly, etc. etc.
Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
| ◊January Children's Photo Contest Winners◊
◊Overall Supreme Emperor◊
Liam Brian
Son of Jaime
3 years | ◊Overall Supreme Empress◊
Alyssa JoAnn
Daughter of lyssasmommy
12 months | ◊Grand Theme Winner◊
Alyssa & Riley
Daughter of lyssasmommy
12 months |
♥♥Pee Wee Girls♥♥
♥Empress -- - Addison Grace
♥Queen -- - Deirdre Marie
♥Princess -- Elleanna Lady Marie
♥Duchess -- Julieanna Nicole
♥♥Little Miss♥♥
♥Empress -- Leah Michele
♥Queen -- Morgan Haley
♥Princess --- Mackenna Elizabeth
♥Duchess -- Cera Danilelle
♥Baroness -- - Akasha Tatum
♥Countess -- - Alexa Lynn
♥♥Junior Girls♥♥
♥Empress -- - Haley Alexis
♥Queen -- - Anastasia Kátalin
♥♥Pee Wee Boys♥♥
♥Emperor -- Seamus Mihály & Casey Whiteley *TIE*
♥King -- Gavin Wade & Brennan Ray
♥Prince -- Kaden Jamison
♥Duke -- Karmine Nathan
♥Baron -- Alexander Joseph
♥Count -- Malakai James
♥♥Little Mister♥♥
♥Emperor --Zachary Jade
♥King -- Ian Randall
♥Prince -- Rece Alexander
♥Duke -- Tristan Patrick
♥Baron --Kyler Andrew
♥♥Junior Boys♥♥
♥Emperor -- - Cameron Alexander
♥King -- Connor Logan
♥Prince --Steffen Béla
♥Duke -- Raine Alan Stewart
♥Baron -- - Cameron Lee
♥Count -- Justin
♥Lord -- Sheldon Daniel
Click here to enter our monthly photo contests! |
| ◊January Photography Contest Winners◊
◊Black & White Category◊
Gypsy Nursing
Submitted by rebus | ◊Digitally Altered Category◊
Interlude
Submitted by Razor Heretic | ◊Nature & Outdoors Category◊
Frozen Stream
Submitted by rockon3314 | ◊People Category◊
Dawn in a tree
Submitted by Gargoylemommy |
♥♥Black N White♥♥
2nd place-Drew In Nature
3rd place-Dont Tread On Me
4th place-Pxys Wedding
5th place-Osker Profile
♥♥Nature & Outdoors ♥♥
2nd place-Serene Perfection
3rd place-Fall Colors
4th place-Outside My Living Room Window
5th place-The Lake
The Night Before
♥♥Digitally Altered♥♥
2nd place-Dont Duck With Me
3rd place-Innerweavings Of Pxys Mind
4th place-Rockin
5th place-Darth Citrix
♥♥People♥♥
2nd place-Griffin Smiles
3rd place-Halloween Smiles
4th place-Tony And Osker Sleeping
5th place-Elleanna Lady Marie Smiling
Click here to enter our monthly photo contests! |
| ◊January Pet Contest Winners◊
◊1st Place Winner◊
Mazey
Submitted by beautifullyxbroken | ◊2nd Place Winner◊
Bone
Submitted by beautifullyxbroken | ◊3rd Place Winner◊
Avacado
Submitted by Psycofreak |
4th place-Itchy
5th place-Olivia
6th place-Zero
7th place-Storm
8th place-Pirate
9th place-Kyuss
Click here to enter our monthly photo contests! |
| Every month I choose a story or article that is hand written by one of our wonderful members.
I hope everyone enjoys reading the articles as much as I do.
This month's winner is Yolanda (APmomof2inOH).
Thank you for your fantastic article Yolanda.
◊Toxins in our homes◊
I have learned that many typical household products on the market today, things we all use on a regular basis, contain harsh and harmful chemicals and many actually contain cancer causing agents. How this affects us, and the people around us, is through continual exposure to these types of chemicals.
Did you know that according to a 17 year study by the Environmental Protection Agency, a women who stays at home has a 54% higher cancer risk than women who work out side the home?
The National Institute for Occupations Safety and Health analyzed 2,983 chemicals found in popular personal care products. It was found that –
784 are toxic
146 cause tumors
218 cause reproductive complications
778 cause acute toxicity
314 cause biological mutations
376 cause skin and eye irritations.
We all tend to think that anything sold in a grocery or department store must be safe, but product labels do not contain complete and accurate information. The law does not require companies to list hazardous ingredients on personal care products. The New York Poison Control Center reports that 85% of product warning labels were either inadequate or incorrect for identifying a poison as well as for first aid instructions. Obviously labeling laws protect big business and not the consumer.
The average home today contains 62 toxic chemicals - more than a chemistry lab at the turn of the century. More than 72,000 synthetic chemicals have been produced since WW II. Less than 25 % of these chemicals have been tested for toxicity, carcinogenic effects, or birth defects and the majority of modern chemicals have NEVER been tested for long term effects. The number of chemicals used inside the home has more than doubled since 1950, and this is one of the contributing factors to why more than 20 million Americans suffer from asthma today.
The #1 cause of accidental poisoning is Dawn Dishwashing detergent. Tide contains lye and is the #1 polluter. It is also the #1 seller. Did you know the little shiny things in Tide Powder are fiberglass?
Did you know that chlorine bleach, Formula 409 and Fantastic are considered legal pesticides? Lysol is even more dangerous than we thought. Would you spray Raid in your bathroom and then stay in the mist to fix your hair? That is pretty much what you are doing when you spray Lysol, which is also a registered pesticide and one of the most dangerous household chemicals on the market. Lysol contains not only phenols but also dioxin (Agent Orange).
Big companies use 30 different names for Fomaldehyde, one common name being Quaternium 15. Have you used Crest toothpaste before? It has Formaldehyde in it, as well as Johnson and Johnson’s baby shampoo, air freshners, mouthwash, cosmetics, fingernail polish, pharmaceuticals and feminine hygiene products.
Why is it used? Formaldehyde is a cheap preservative, used only to extend the shelf life of products, that’s all. I think that's scary.
Studies using mice resulted in the mice dying from severe neurotoxin reactions to air fresheners. What they actually do is interfere with our ability to smell offensive odors by releasing nerve deadening agents or coat our nasal passages with an oil film.
The National Safety Council says that more children under four die of accidental poisonings at home that are accidentally killed with guns at home, and, “Of chemicals commonly found in homes, 150 have been linked to allergies, birth defects, cancer, and psychological abnormalities”, that quote is from the Consumer Product Safety Commission
In just 26 seconds after any exposure to chemicals, they can be found in every organ of the body.
Thanks for reading all that! I'm creating a web site that says all that and more, which I'll include in my siggie when it's ready. If you have any comments or questions, please let me know!
Written By : Yolanda (APmomof2inOH)
Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
|
 | ♠Swansea♠
Swansea (Welsh: Abertawe, "mouth of the Tawe") is a city in Wales and a Welsh County. The city of Swansea is situated on the South Wales coast immediately to the east of the Gower Peninsula and is the second largest city in Wales. The City picked up the 2005 Times Higher Education Supplement Award for the UK's "best student experience." It grew to its present importance during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, becoming a centre of heavy industry. However, it did not enjoy the same degree of immigration as Cardiff and the eastern Welsh valleys.
The name Swansea is believed to come from "Sweyn's Ey" |
("ey" being a Germanic word for "island") and to have originated in the period when the Vikings plundered the south Wales coast. Consequently it is pronounced Swan's-y [?sw?nzi]) not Swan-sea.
Swansea, Wales' City by the Sea and birthplace of Dylan Thomas and Catherine Zeta Jones, is a lively and vibrant maritime city and regional shopping centre. Only a stone throw away, the Victorian resort of Mumbles offers a fantastic array of attractions, including a pier, traditional boutiques, craft shops and ice-cream parlours. Mumbles is known as the 'Gateway to Gower', Britain's first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Gower Peninsula extends West of Mumbles in a succession of stunning coastal and rural sceneries. To the East, the 'Waterfall Country' at Afan and the Vale of Neath is a haven for walkers and bikers alike.
From lush valleys and waterfalls to award-winning sandy beaches, you'll find all you need for a fabulous holiday in Swansea Bay!
Welsh Abertawe city, Swansea county, historic county of Glamorgan (Morgannwg), southwestern Wales. It lies along the Bristol Channel at the mouth of the River Tawe. Swansea is the second largest city in Wales (after Cardiff).
In the early 12th century the Norman Henry de Newburgh built a castle there, which was later destroyed by the Welsh rebel Owen Glendower. Up to the early 18th century Swansea…
♠Castles♠
Swansea Castle was founded by Henry de Beaumont in 1106 as the caput of the lordship of Gower.
The original castle seems to have been a sub-rectangular/oval enclosure overlooking the River Tawe on the east, surrounded on the North, West and South sides by a larger sub-rectangular outer bailey. The inner bailey probably contained a motte but the other view is that it was a ring work. The new castle was attacked by the Welsh in 1116 but the inner castle held. After various other unsuccessful attacks the castle fell in 1217 but was restored to the English in 1220 as part of the settlement between Llywelyn ap Iorwerth and Henry III of England. Immediately after this the inner castle was probably walled in stone with at least one tower. Later in the 13th century the large outer bailey was also walled. The only visible remains are two sides of a rectangular "new castle" built in the South East corner of the outer bailey in the late 13th/early 14th century. The S face (which ends in a tall garderobe tower) is capped with an elegant series of arcades at the wall-head, which are similar to structures at the Bishop of Saint David's palaces at Lamphey and St David's. By then the castle had lost its military importance. It is not known whether it fell to allies of Owain Glyndwr early in the 15th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries parts of the castle were variously used as a market, a town hall, a drill hall and a prison. Part of the interior of the new castle was demolished early in the 20th century in the construction of a newspaper office. The remains have now been consolidated and opened up to view from the street.
Swansea Castle is now so hemmed in by modern buildings and roads that it is hard to imagine its original surroundings, or indeed its original form. It stands on a clifftop, below which the river Tawe originally flowed, and its position was strategic: it commanded the lowest crossing of the river, the main east-west route in south Wales, and a good harbour. What is visible now is only a small part of the latest castle on the site, which in its heyday in the late 13th century stretched from Welcome Lane in the north to Caer Street in the south, and from the clifftop in the east, almost to Princess Way in the West.
Swansea Castle's history was a turbulent one: it suffered in many Welsh raids, and changed hands many times. It was a Norman castle first mentioned in 1116 as being attacked by the Welsh. It was established by Henry I's friend Henry de Beaumont, first earl of Warwick, as the seat of administration of the marcher lordship of Gower, which Henry bestowed on him in about 1106. This first castle was of motte and bailey type, and nothing of it remains above ground. The west side of its deep ditch has been excavated to the north of the present remains. It was rebuilt in stone on the same site, probably after being razed by the Welsh in 1217. Nothing remains above ground of this stage either, but the west side of the curtain wall has been found, together with a mural tower. To the south-west of this small castle, called the 'Old Castle', a large roughly rectangular outer bailey was walled in stone late in the 13th century.
The 'New Castle', of which the present-day remains were part, lay in its south-east corner, built on the site of an earlier graveyard. This castle dates from the late 13th to early 14th century, by which time Edward I's pacification of Wales had deprived it of any military importance. It continued as an administrative center, but at a reduced level. Its holders, then the de Braoses, preferred to live at Oystermouth Castle, and inevitably decline set in. Stripped of their usefulness, the various gates and towers of the bailey were sold off in the early 14th century.
The visible remains consist of the north and south blocks, probably the work of William de Braose III, connected by a short stretch of much-altered curtain wall. The curtain wall originally continued up Castle Bailey Street on the west, and west from the north block to enclose a roughly rectangular area, with an entrance on the west side. The well-preserved south block, which occupied most of the south side of the castle, is the most spectacular part, with its picturesque arcaded parapet on top of the outside walls. This was almost certainly the work of Henry de Gower, bishop of St. Davids (1328-47), and recalls similar features in his palaces at Lamphey and St. Davids itself. Swansea may thus have served as an episcopal palace for some time. This view has, however, recently been challenged. Some authorities now believe it is the work of the de Mowbray lord of Gower, using the bishop's masons, employed at that time elsewhere in Swansea. Two large windows on the south side are the windows of the first floor hall, and below them are the narrow windows of three barrel-vaulted chambers. In the angled wing to the east was a sub-basement with great battered walls, from which there was access to the river. On the first floor was a solar, or private chamber, reached by steps on the west side. At the west end of the block is a spectacular circular garderobe tower standing to its full height, and in the south-east angle is a small turret with an arrowslit.
The small rectangular tower to the north has been much altered in post-medieval times, but retains a few original features, such as cross arrowslits. On the ground floor are three vaulted chambers, with four rooms above them inserted in the late 18th century when the block was turned into a debtor's prison. It had probably been used as a prison for a long time before, and still has grim air. Other usable parts of the castle had very heterogeneous uses at the beginning of the 19th century - as a town hall, poor-house, a new market house, store cellars, a blacksmith's and other shops, a Roman Catholic chapel (in the hall) and a dovecote.
♠Geography♠
The local government area is some 378 km² in size, including a large amount of open countryside and a central urban and suburban belt. The population in mid-2004 is about 225,000, 13.4% of which were Welsh speakers at the 2001 census, as compared with 11% for the capital city, Cardiff
However, the wider urban area including most of Swansea Bay has a total population of 270,506 (making it the 22nd largest urban area in England and Wales)
As part of a coastal region, Swansea experiences a milder climate than the mountains and valleys inland. This same location, though, leaves Swansea exposed to rain-bearing winds from the Atlantic: figures from the Met Office make Swansea the wettest city in Britain
The county area can be roughly divided into four physical areas. To the North are the Lliw uplands which are mainly open moorland. To the west is the Gower Peninsula with its rural landscape dotted with small villages. To the east is the coastal strip around Swansea Bay. Cutting though the middle from the south east to the north west is the urban and suburban zone stretching from the city of Swansea to the towns of Gorseinon and Pontarddulais.
The most heavily populated areas of the county area are Morriston and Sketty and the city centre. The chief urbanised area radiates from the city of Swansea towards the north, south and west: along the coast of Swansea Bay to Mumbles; up the Swansea Valley past Landore and Morriston to Clydach; over Townhill to Cwmbwrla, Penlan, Treboeth and Fforestfach; through Uplands, Sketty, Killay to Dunvant; and east of the river from St. Thomas to Bonymaen, Llansamet and Birchgrove. A second urbanised area is focused on a triangle defined by Gowerton, Gorseinon and Loughor along with the satellite communities of Penllergaer and Pontarddulais.
About three quarters of the county is bordered by the sea. The two main rivers in the region are the Tawe which passes the city centre and the Loughor which flows on the northern border with Carmarthenshire. The lower River Tawe has been heavily engineered whilst the River Loughor remains relatively untouched by man.
Rhossili Beach as seen from headland, GowerIn the small county area, the geology is complex, providing diverse scenery. The Gower Peninsula, to which the city is considered the gateway, was the first area in the United Kingdom to be designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Excluding the small urbanised area in the south eastern corner of the county, the whole of the Gower Peninsula is part of an AONB. Swansea has numerous urban and country park lands. The region has featured regularly in the Wales in Bloom awards.
The geology of the Gower Peninsula ranges from carboniferous limestone scenery at Worm's Head to the salt-marshes and dune systems of the Loughor estuary to the north. The eastern, southern and western sides of the peninsular are lined with numerous sandy beaches both wide and small, separated by steep cliffs. The South Wales Coalfield reaches the coast in the Swansea area. This had a great bearing on the development of the city of Swansea and other towns in the county like Morriston. The inland area is covered by large swathes of grassland common overlooked by sandstone heath ridges including the prominent Cefn Bryn. The traditional agricultural landscape consists a patchwork of fields characterised by walls, stone-faced banks and hedgerows. Secluded valleys cut through the peninsula and contain rich deciduous woodland
Much of the county is very hilly with the highest point of the county being Mynydd y Betws on the border with Carmarthenshire.
♠History♠
Archaeology on the Gower Peninsula includes many remains from prehistoric times, passing through Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age. Prehistoric finds in the Swansea city area proper are rare. The Romans visited the area, as did the Vikings, whose name for the settlement on the river is used in English today.
Following the Norman Conquest, a marcher lordship was created: named Gower, it included land around Swansea Bay as far as the Tawe, and the manor of Kilvey beyond the Tawe as well as the peninsula itself. Swansea was designated its chief town, and subsequently received one of the earlier borough charters in Wales.
Swansea became an important port: some coal and vast amounts of limestone (for fertiliser) were being shipped out from the town by 1550. As the Industrial Revolution reached Wales, the combination of port, local coal, and trading links with the West Country, Cornwall and Devon, meant that Swansea was the logical place to site copper smelting works. Smelters were operating by 1720 and proliferated.
Following this, more coal mines (everywhere from north-east Gower to Clyne to Llangyfelach) were opened and smelters (mostly along the Tawe valley) were opened and flourished. Over the next century and a half, works were established to process arsenic, zinc and tin and to create tinplate and pottery. The city expanded rapidly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and was termed "Copperopolis". By the mid-nineteenth century Swansea docks was the largest exporter of coal in the world.
Through the twentieth century, these industries eventually declined, leaving the Lower Swansea Valley filled with derelict works and mounds of waste products from them. The Lower Swansea Valley Scheme (which still continues) reclaimed much of the land: the present Enterprise Zone exists almost entirely a result of this scheme, and of the many original docks, only those outside the city continue to work as docks: North Dock is now Parc Tawe and South Dock became the Marina.
Little city centre evidence beyond road layout remains from medieval Swansea; its industrial importance made it the target of heavy bombing in World War II, and the centre was flattened completely.
On 27th of June 1906, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the UK during the twentieth century struck Swansea with a strength of 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Earthquakes in the UK very rarely cause any structural damage as most occur away from heavily populated areas but with the earthquake centered on Swansea many taller buildings were damaged
♠The City♠
In addition to being a holiday resort, Swansea is also a commercial centre, and the recently regenerated dock areas are home to some cutting-edge hi-tech industries. One of the best-known employers in Swansea is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. Whilst the city itself has a long history, many of the city centre buildings are post-war as much of the centre was destroyed by World War II bombing in the so-called Three Nights' Blitz. Within the city centre, are the ruins of the castle, the Marina, the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea Museum, the Dylan Thomas Centre, the Environmental Centre, and the Central Market, which is the largest covered market in Wales. It backs onto the Quadrant shopping centre which opened in 1978.
Wind Street is of the city's two main areas of night-life and is also the location of many chain restaurants. The street is lined with numerous pubs and wine bars attracting people from all over South Wales. Many of these buildings were originally banks, with one being the old central Post Office and sorting office and thus they are substantially larger than some of the other city centre pubs. Discos and clubs line the Kingsway and this street is other main area of central Swansea night-life. St Helen's Road connects the city centre with the Brynmill area, and has many Indian and Bangladeshi restaurants and shops on it. These mainly cater to people on a night out when walking back from the Kingsway to Brynmill in the evening.
Swansea was granted city status in 1969
to mark Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales. The announcement was made by the Prince on July 3, 1969, during a tour of Wales It obtained the further right to a have Lord Mayor in 1982.
Many areas of the city have seen changes within the early part of the 21st century. The Wales National Pool, of Olympic size, was completed. A new multi-million pound National Waterfront Museum officially opened in October 2005. Out-of-town retail parks increased in the first years of the new century. In addition to the Enterprise Park, there arose new developments at Fforestfach and next to the Liberty Stadium in Landore.
♠Culture♠
Swansea's diverse and interesting past has helped weave a city of character and charm, which has produced many famous personalities. On the literary stage, the poet Dylan Thomas is perhaps the best-known. He was born in the town and grew up at 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Uplands. There is a memorial to him in the nearby Cwmdonkin Park. The actress Catherine Zeta-Jones is probably the most famous of the city's recent cultural exports, and she maintains close links with the city. Welsh rock band Man, Pete Ham of the rock/power pop band Badfinger, author Mary Balogh, singer/songwriter Mal Pope, MP Michael Heseltine, scriptwriter and producer Russell T. Davies, singer Bonnie Tyler and entertainer Sir Harry Secombe were also born and raised in the city, as was the current Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
Perhaps the city's most celebrated personality is Jack - a black Labrador. During his seven years of life, he managed to save twenty-seven people from drowning in the murky waters of Swansea docks. There is a monument to commemorate Jack's gallant efforts on the foreshore near the St. Helen's stadium. People from Swansea are known locally as Swansea Jacks, or just Jacks. The source of this nickname is not clear. Some attribute it to Swansea Jack, the life-saving dog. Others point to Swansea's long history as a port and the use of the word jack to indicate a sailor.
♠Performing Arts♠
There are a number of theatres in the city and the surrounding areas. The Grand Theatre in the centre of the city is a Victorian theatre which celebrated its centenary in 1997 and which has a capacity of a little over a thousand people. It was opened by the celebrated opera singer Adelina Patti. The annual programme ranges from pantomime and drama to opera and ballet. A new wing of the Grand, the Arts Wing, has a studio suitable for smaller shows, with a capacity of about 200. The Taliesin building on the university campus has a theatre. Other theatres include the Dylan Thomas Theatre (formerly the Little Theatre) near the marina, and one in Penyrheol Leisure Centre near Gorseinon. In the summer, outdoor Shakespeare performances are a regular feature at Oystermouth Castle, and Singleton Park is the venue for a number of parties and concerts, from dance music to outdoor Proms. Although Pontardawe is outside the city boundaries, the trip from Swansea to Pontardawe for the annual folk festival is a short one. Another folk festival is held on Gower. Standing near Victoria Park on the coast road is the Patti Pavillion: this was the Winter Garden from Adelina Patti's Craig-y-Nos estate in the upper Swansea valley, which she donated to the town in 1918. It is used as a venue for music shows and fairs. The Brangwyn Hall is a multi-use venue with events ranging from graduation ceremonies to the annual Chinese New Year celebrations for the local Chinese community. Every autumn, Swansea hosts a Festival of Music and the Arts, when international orchestras and soloists visit the Brangwyn Hall.
Swansea hosted the National Eisteddfod in 1863, 1891, 1907, 1926, 1964, 1982 and 2006. The 2006 event occupied the site of the former Velindre tinplate works to the north of the city and featured a strikingly pink main tent
♠Welsh Language♠
There are many Welsh-language chapels and churches in the area. Welsh-medium education is a popular and growing choice for both English- and Welsh-speaking parents, leading to claims in the local press in autumn 2004 that to accommodate demand, the council planned to close an English-medium school in favour of opening a new Welsh-medium school. (Source: Swansea Evening Post, September 8, 2004, and subsequent issues.)
45% of the rural council ward Mawr speak Welsh, as do 38% of the ward of Pontarddulais. Clydach, Kingsbridge and Upper Loughor all have levels of more than 20%. By contrast, the urban St. Thomas has one of the lowest figures in Wales, at 6.4%, a figure only barely lower than Penderry and Townhill wards
♠Sports♠
Further information: Swansea City A.F.C., Swansea RFC and Ospreys (rugby union) for more about Swansea's major sports clubs
There are a number of sporting venues in Swansea. St Helen's is a cricket and rugby ground which is one of the homes of Glamorgan County Cricket Club. It was in this ground that Sir Garfield Sobers hit six sixes in one over: the first time this was achieved in a game of first-class cricket. One ball is reputed to have landed in the Cricketers' pub just outside the ground. The stadium is metres from the coast of Swansea Bay. Strong local rivalries exist between Swansea and Cardiff in football and between Swansea and Llanelli in rugby. Swansea also boasts one of the largest Saturday local football leagues in the country, second only to the one in Birmingham at its peak.
Liberty Stadium, home of Swansea City and The OspreysSwansea City A.F.C., the Swans, moved from the Vetch Field to the new Liberty Stadium at the start of the 2005-2006 season, winning promotion to League One in their final year at their old home. The first game at the new stadium was on July 23: a football friendly between the Swans and Fulham which ended 1-1. Swansea City are currently pushing for promotion from League One to the Championship after losing to Barnsley in the League 1 play-off final at the Millennium Stadium. Swansea City have recently retained the FAW cup and on April 2nd 2006 30,000 Swans fans made the journey to Cardiff to see their side defeat Carlisle 2-1 in the Football League Final. The Swans' football following are known as the Jack Army due to the regional nickname for people from Swansea.
In 2003, Swansea RFC merged with Neath RFC to form the Neath-Swansea Ospreys rugby club. Swansea RFC remains at St Helen's in semi-professional form, but the Ospreys moved to the then-named New Stadium in Landore for the start of the 2005-2006 season. The final Ospreys match at St Helen's was played on the same day as the final Swans league game at the Vetch: April 30, 2005. Swansea/Neath rugby games used to be hotly-contested matches, such that there was some debate about whether a team incorporating both areas was possible. In fact the Neath-Swansea Ospreys seem to be the most successful club since Welsh rugby's reorganisation and came fifth in the Celtic League in their first year of existence, and won that league in their second year.
Swansea's rugby league side play a few miles out of the city in the small town of Ystalyfera. They are known as the Swansea Valley Miners but were formed as the Swansea Bulls in 2002.
♠Religion♠
Swansea, like Wales in general, has seen many non-conformist religious revivals. In 1904, Evan Roberts, a miner from Loughor (Llwchwr), just outside Swansea, was the leader of what has been called one of the world's greatest Protestant religious revivals. Within a few months about 100,000 people were converted. This revival in particular had a profound effect on Welsh society. The "Welsh Revival" of 1904 is acknowledged as having been an instigator of, and a major influence on the twentieth century's Pentecostal movement. One of its first overseas influences was seen in the African American church: the Azusa Street Revival, beginning April 9, 1906 at Los Angeles, USA. It has been said that 25% of the world's Christians (usually Protestant Pentecostals or Charismatics) are Christians as a direct result of the 1904 revival in Swansea.
♠Government♠
City and County of Swansea GuildhallMain article: City and County of Swansea
Traditionally, Swansea refers to the City of Swansea which is the settlement around the Tawe estuary. Today it also refers to one of the Subdivisions of Wales under the name of the 'City and County of Swansea' (Welsh: Dinas a Sir Abertawe}.
Swansea was once a staunch Labour stronghold. The Liberal Democrats are the largest group in the administration that took control of Swansea Council in the 2004 local elections.
The City & County of Swansea is twinned with:
Mannheim (Germany)
Pau (France)
Cork (Republic of Ireland)
Connections with:
Ferrara (Italy)
Århus (Denmark)
Friendship link with:
Nantong (China)
New York City (USA)
♠Economy♠
Swansea originally developed as centre for metals and mining, especially the copper industry, from the beginning of the 18th century. The industry reached its apogee in the 1880s, when 60% of the copper ores imported to Britain were smelted in the Lower Swansea valley. However, by the end of the Second World War these heavy industries were in decline, and over the post-war decades Swansea shared in the general trend towards a post-industrial, service sector economy.
Today, the most important economic sectors in Swansea are: public administration, education and health (37.4% of local jobs); distribution, hotels and restaurants (25.5%); and banking, finance and insurance (16.3%). The high proportion of public sector employment is common to Wales as a whole (32.8%) and much higher than the UK average (26.4%). This primarily reflects the relative weakness of the private sector in Swansea (and Wales) rather than an "overly" large public sector, although some Government departments and agencies (including the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) have purposely located offices in Swansea and other less prosperous cities and regions.
The largest single major category of jobs in Swansea is associate professional & technical occupations (comprising 13.7% of employment), although compared to the Welsh and UK averages the city also has relatively large shares of administrative & secretarial occupations (13.4%), elementary occupations (13.1%) and sales & customer service occupations (10.7%). There are proportionally more managers & senior officials in Swansea than Wales as a whole (13.3% compared to 12.5%), but this lags behind the overall UK figure (14.8%), reflecting the lack of any large regional corporate presence with the high value-added employment that brings.
In May 2006, 71.9% of Swansea's working age residents were in employment, 23.3% were economically inactive and 6.1% unemployed. The economic activity rate is higher than the Welsh average but notably lower than the overall UK figure. This differential may be partly due to the relatively large number of students in Swansea (the city has a university and an institute of higher education), but is also caused by a large element of 'hidden unemployment' especially in the more deprived areas such as Townhill and much of Swansea East. Only 8.1% of Swansea residents are self-employed, compared to an average of more than 12% in Wales and the UK as a whole.
Swansea has a higher proportion of working age population qualified to degree (NVQ 4 or equivalent) level than the Welsh average, but a lower proportion than the UK average. Similarly, fewer Swansea residents have no qualifications (16%) relative to Wales as a whole, but this figure is slightly higher than the UK level.
The city is a centre of net in-commuting, with around 16,000 people making a daily journey outside the authority for work (principally to neighbouring Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire) and 25,100 commuting in (again, mainly from Neath Port Talbot and Carmarthenshire).
Surveys show that annual full-time gross median earnings for Swansea residents are lower than the Welsh and UK averages (£21,003 against £21,023 and £22,901). The annual gross median earnings for those who work in Swansea are even lower, only £19,391. Similarly, Gross Value Added (GVA) per head is relatively low in Swansea at £13,507 compared to a UK figure of £16,485, although here Swansea performs better than Wales as a whole (£12,716). However, since the cost of living is lower in Swansea (indeed most of Wales) compared to many other parts of the UK, lower earnings and GVA per head do not necessarily signify a major gap in living standards.
Although some surveys place Swansea as the 18th largest retail centre in the UK - a high placement considering the size of its population - in rankings of shopping attractiveness and competitiveness Swansea is usually placed outside the top 50, largely because of the low quality of the city centre retail offer. A peculiarity of Swansea is the lack of employment in the city centre, relative to other towns and cities of similar size. Many major employers have moved to the Enterprise Park or other city fringe locations; only 4,510 office jobs are now are located in the city centre, compared to 13,910 in Cardiff. This reduces spend in the city centre economy and helps to underpin the weakness of the local retail sector. Low demand prevents speculative development of new commercial premises, which has created a vicious circle of city centre decline.
Given the weakness of the local market, most new retail and office developments are supported by public sector 'gap funding'. The former Welsh Development Agency promoted the regeneration of several sites in the city, in recent years most notably the SA1 Waterfront development, which continues to be supported by the Welsh Assembly Government.[14] The WDA's Technium concept of incubator space for high technology firms (often 'spin outs' from the local university) was launched at the SA1 site, and additional facilities have now been constructed there and on the university campus. The Assembly and IBM are supporting a new Institute of Life Sciences at the university, which it is hoped will generate high skill, high value-added jobs in future.
♠Education♠
The Swansea University has a campus in Singleton Park overlooking Swansea Bay. Its engineering department is recognised as a centre of excellence with pioneering work on computational techniques for solving engineering design problems. Other establishments for further and higher education in the city include Swansea Institute of Higher Education and Swansea College, with Gorseinon College just outside the city proper. Swansea Institute was particularly well-known for its Architectural Glass department; stained glass was a long time speciality.
There are fifteen comprehensive schools under the remit of the local education authority, of which two are Welsh-medium. The oldest school in Swansea is Bishop Gore School. The largest comprehensive school in Swansea is the Olchfa School. Swansea is also home to The Bible College of Wales. Swansea's most famous independent school is Ffynone House.
♠Local Media♠
The local newspaper is the Evening Post. There is also a local free newspaper called the Swansea Herald. Local radio stations include Swansea Sound and 96.4 FM The Wave. Swansea is one of the few regions in Wales with reasonable digital radio coverage: this was improved in January 2005 with the launch of the Swansea DAB multiplex which is located on the top of Kilvey Hill. The local papur bro (Welsh-language news) is Wilia. Swansea is served by three local radio stations, the recently launched "Swansea Bay Radio" on 102.1 FM, the Wave (96.4 FM), and Swansea Sound (1170 AM). Both the Wave and Swansea Sound are also available on the local DAB multiplex.
Swansea plays host to the BeyondTV International Film Festival. BeyondTV is annual event organised by independent filmmakers Undercurrents to showcase the best of activism filmmakers. Independent filmmakers Undercurrents are based in Swansea.
♠County level transport♠
Swansea's main mode of local public transport is via buses. There are few local train services within the county area. The only suburban train services are provided by the main lines in and out of the city, where train services are provided on a two hourly basis during peak times. A major weakness in Swansea's public transport offering is the separation of the railway station with the bus station. It takes about 15 minutes to walk between the two but there are regular bus services between the two, which operate at 5 to 10 minute intervals during peak hours. However is expected to introduce a new concept of public transport called the Swansea Metro which is a 110-seater bus-tram hybrid, and will aim to speed up journeys as customers will pre-pay for their tickets at metro stops.
The bus station in the city centre serves as the bus transport hub. First Cymru is the predominant bus operating company in the county. Some rural routes in the local authority area are funded by the council; this includes the majority of the services on Gower, for example, which are operated by Pullman Coaches under the brand name of 'Gower Explorer' with its distinctive Ray Stenning-designed livery.
Park and Ride services are operated from secure car parks at Landore and the Fabian Way. During busy periods of the year, additional Park and Ride services are operated from the Brynmill recreation ground. A third Park and Ride site at Forestfach on Carmarthen Road - A483 (on the site of the old Mettoys factory) opened on Monday 13th November 2006.
The main taxi rank is located next to St Mary's Church. For transport connections, taxi ranks are located at the bus railway stations. In addition, small taxi ranks are located at Castle Square and the Kingsway providing transport.
There are four dedicated cycle routes in the county area. Adjacent to Swansea Bay is a combined cycle route and walkway known simply as "the promenade" by the local people. The Maritime Quarter and the Knab Rock near the Mumbles Pier form the ends of this route. At the heart of the Clyne Valley Country Park is the Clyne Valley Cycle Track, part of National Cycle Route 4. This track connects Blackpill with Gowerton, cutting through much tranquil woodland. On the east bank of the River Tawe is a cycle track (National Cycle Route 43) and foot path providing views of the River Tawe and the industrial ruins at Hafod. This route terminates at the Quay Parade road bridge and Pentre-Chwyth traffic junction. Departing the city centre eastwards from Quay parade bridge there is a cycle track running adjacent to the Fabian Way which runs east as part of National Cycle Route 4, which extends to Chepstow (as the Celtic Trail) and eventually London. A new bridge over Fabian Way carrying a new express bus only lane will also incorporate a shared use pedestrian and cycle way.
♠Leisure & Tourism♠
Another shot of the marina from Trawler Road
View of Swansea Bay from the air. The Mumbles can be seen in the distance. The Uplands suburb can be seen in the foreground.With its seaside location and varied inland geography, Swansea makes a suitable destination for a range of outdoor activies like swimming, sailing, water skiing, surfing, sea angling, canoeing, and rowing, or hiking.
Prior to closure in 2003, Swansea's Leisure Centre was one of the top ten visitor attractions in the UK. It is currently being redeveloped as a water sports theme park. The only 50m swimming pool, the Wales National Pool is based in Swansea.
The wide sandy beaches at Langland, Caswell and Limeslade are the most popular with swimmers and tourists with children, whereas the wide and calm waters of Swansea Bay tend to attract the water-sport enthusiast. Coastal paths connect most of the Gower bays and Swansea Bay itself, and hikers can enjoy countryside views throughout the year. Although little known on the tourist map, the North of Swansea has some of the most outstanding countryside in the country, with panoramas of the Welsh mountains. One of the most popular tourist destinations in the county, the former fishing village of Mumbles (located on the western edge of Swansea Bay) has a variety restaurants and coffee shops. The promenade at Mumbles offers a panoramic view of the Swansea Bay vista.
♥http://www.swansea.gov.uk/
♥http://www.swan.ac.uk/
Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
|
♠Vintage Fabric Tote Bag♠
The best thing about this bag is that you only need some fabric and yarn! This bag easily goes from purse to diaper bag, and suits every personality. It would make a great hostess gift as well, the possibilities are endless!
♠What You Need:♠
* 1/2 yard each of vintage fabric and desired lining fabric
* Coordinating thread
♠Instructions:♠
1. Cut two 15-x-18-inch pieces from the vintage fabric for the front and back. Cut matching pieces for the lining. Cut a 2-x-18-inch strip from each fabric for straps.
2. With right sides of the vintage fabric facing and using 1/2-inch seam allowances, sew around three sides, leaving top open. Turn and press. Press under 1/2 inch on the top edge. Repeat for the lining, but do not turn. Insert the lining into the bag so the wrong sides of the fabrics face and the raw edges are sandwiched between the two bags.
3. Press under 1/4 inch on the long edges of the handle pieces. Fold the strips in half lengthwise with wrong sides facing and press. Sew 1/8 inch from the long edges.
4. Insert the raw short ends of the handles into the bags between the front and lining, placing handles about 3 inches from the bag side seams. Topstitch around the top 1/8 inch from the edge. Stitch a second seam 1/4 inch below the first stitch line.
This craft idea was found at www.bhg.com
Contributed By : Faith (Huntersmom2006) |
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 | ◊Jean Harlow - 3/3/11-6/7/37 ◊
Birth Name: Harlean Carpenter
Nickname: Baby Jean
Also known as: Hollywood's Original Blonde Bombshell
Born: March 3, 1911 in Kansas City, Missouri
Died: June 7, 1937 in Los Angeles, California
Burial location: In the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California. (Actor William Powell bought three crypts in the Mausoleum: one for Jean, one for her mother, and one for himself. However, Powell was not buried there and |
the third crypt remains empty.)
Height: 5' 2"
Weight: 109 lbs.
Shoe size: 4
Hair Color: Blonde
Eye Color: Green
Occupation: Actress
Nationality: American
Religion: She was raised as a Christian Scientist, but did not go to church as an adult.
Hobbies: reading, golf, tennis, horseback riding.
Pets: (during the 1930s) Oscar, a Pomeranian; Good Cat and Bad Cat; Erbert ,a goldfish given to her by a fan; Tiger, a Norwegian husky; His Royal Highness, a Persian cat; and six ducks.
 | ◊About Jean◊
Famous tagline: "Would you be shocked if I changed into something more comfortable?" from Hell's Angels.
Did you know?
In May 1937, Jean Harlow became the very first film actress to grace the cover of Life magazine.
Jean was ranked No. 22 on the American Film Institute's "100 Years, 100 |
Before the days of Madonna and Marilyn Monroe, the "Original Blonde Bombshell" made her mark on Hollywood and the world, leaving behind a new image of the Hollywood sex goddess. Harlean Carpenter, later known as Jean Harlow, was born on March 3, 1911 in Kansas City, Missouri. Although she would sadly only live to age 26, Jean achieved a great deal of success during her lifetime. In an acting career that lasted 10 short years, Jean made 36 movies. Some of her other achievements included being voted No. 22 on the American Film Institute's list of the "Greatest American Screen Legends" (female), and becoming the first movie actress to appear on the cover of Life magazine.
Jean displayed talent in both her sensual and comedic performances, but she initially captivated fans with her trendsetting platinum blonde hair. As she gained fame, peroxide sales in the United States skyrocketed. Botched attempts to look like Jean forced thousands of women to cut their hair. Hollywood producers of the past had consistently cast dark-haired women to play the parts of vixens, but Jean emerged as the first star to incorporate the platinum blonde look into her acting.
Jean was born the daughter of a successful dentist and his wife. Jean's mother, known as Mother Jean, had dreams of becoming an actress, which led her to divorce her husband and move to Hollywood with her young daughter. Jean's mother never allowed her to see her father, however Jean would sneak visits with him throughout her life. Mother Jean soon remarried a man named Marino Bello and the family moved to Chicago, where Jean attended high school.
Poor health afflicted Jean throughout her childhood. At age five, she contracted meningitis and suffered from scarlet fever at age 15. Jean left home at age 16 to marry 23-year-old Charles McGrew. Shortly after the wedding the couple left Chicago and moved to Beverly Hills. Jean's true aspiration in life was to be a wife and mother, however she sought work as an extra in films to please Mother Jean. Although at first Jean was not interested in making films, she received her first role in Why is a Plumber? in 1927. She and McGrew divorced after two years, but her big career break was about to occur.
In 1930, movie producer and entrepreneur Howard Hughes became interested in Jean and cast her in Hell's Angels. In Hell's Angels, she spoke the now famous line, "Would you be shocked if I changed into something more comfortable?" Jean's appearance in Hell's Angels solidified her role as America's new sex symbol. This victory was followed by another hit, Platinum Blonde, and several films with Clark Gable. In total, she and Gable would star in six movies together including Red Dust, The Secret Six and Wife vs. Secretary. During the filming of Red Dust, Jean's second husband of only two months, producer Paul Bern, committed suicide.
In 1933's Dinner at Eight, Jean was at her comedic best. Later that year she starred in Bombshell, a Hollywood parody based loosely on her real-life experiences with her controlling mother and greedy stepfather. Also in 1933, Jean married cinematographer Harold Rosson in a union that would only last eight months. To accompany her escalating career, in 1935 she legally changed her name to Jean Harlow, her mother's maiden name.
Following the end of her marriage, Jean found the love of her life in actor William Powell. They were together for two years, however before they could wed, Jean's health declined. While filming Saratoga in 1937, Jean was hospitalized with uremic poisoning and kidney failure, a result of the scarlet fever she had suffered during childhood. In the days before dialysis and kidney transplants, nothing could be done and Jean died on June 7, 1937. The film had to be finished using long angle shots and a double, Mary Dees. Clark Gable was reported to have said that he felt as if he was "in the arms of a ghost." After a large Hollywood funeral organized by Louis B. Mayer of MGM, Jean was buried in the mausoleum in Forest Lawn Glendale, in Los Angeles.
Jean was labeled a "screen siren" for her sensational dialogue and revealing costumes, but audiences, directors and producers alike appreciated her flair for comedy and drama. Had she lived longer, it is likely that she would have stayed on a successful path in Hollywood for years to come. In an acting career that lasted only 10 years, Jean Harlow forever established herself as one of the most captivating actresses of all time.
 | ◊Movie timeline◊
Honor Bound (1928)
Moran of the Marines (1928)
Chasing Husbands (1928) (short subject)
Liberty (1929) (short subject)
Fugitives (1929)
Why Be Good? (1929)
Why Is a Plumber? (1929) (short subject)
Close Harmony (1929) |
The Unkissed Man (1929) (short subject)
Double Whoopee (1929) (short subject)
Thundering Toupees (1929) (short subject)
Bacon Grabbers (1929) (short subject)
The Saturday Night Kid (1929)
The Love Parade (1929)
This Thing Called Love (1929)
Weak But Willing (1929) (short subject)
New York Nights (1929)
Hell's Angels (1930)
City Lights (1931)
The Secret Six (1931)
The Public Enemy (1931)
Iron Man (1931)
Goldie (1931)
Platinum Blonde (1931)
Beau Hunks (1931) (short subject) (appears in photo)
Talking Screen Snapshots (1932) (short subject)
Hollywood on Parade (1932) (short subject)
Three Wise Girls (1932)
The Beast of the City (1932)
Red-Headed Woman (1932)
Red Dust (1932)
Hold Your Man (1933)
Dinner at Eight (1933)
Bombshell (1933)
The Girl from Missouri (1934)
Reckless (1935)
China Seas (1935)
Riffraff (1936)
Wife vs. Secretary (1936)
Suzy (1936)
Libeled Lady (1936)
The Candid Camera Story (Very Candid) of the Metro-Goldwyn Mayer Pictures 1937 Convention (1937) (short subject)
Personal Property (1937)
Saratoga (1937)
 | Jean Harlow (born Harlean Harlow Carpenter, March 3, 1911 – June 7, 1937) was an American film actress and top sex symbol of the 1930s. Known as the "Platinum Blonde" for her famous hair, Harlow starred in several films mainly designed to showcase her magnetic sex appeal and strong screen presence before transitioning to more developed roles and achieving massive fame under contract to MGM. Known as "The Baby" to family and close friends, Harlow's enormous popularity and "laughing vamp" image were in distinct contrast to her personal life, which was marred by disappointment, tragedy, and ultimately her sudden death from kidney failure at the age of 26. Harlow was born Harlean Carpenter in Kansas City, Missouri, the daughter of Mont Clair Carpenter, a |
dentist, and his wife, Jean Poe Carpenter (neé Harlow). Young Harlean's father came from a working-class background while her mother was the daughter of a wealthy real estate broker, Skip Harlow and his wife Ella Harlow (neé Williams). The marriage was arranged by Skip Harlow; Jean Carpenter, a very intelligent, strong-willed woman, resented it and would become very unhappy in the marriage.
Unlike many Hollywood stars, little Harlean's childhood was not marked by poverty and unhappiness; in fact she lived with her parents in a very large house in Kansas City that was her grandfather's second home. The only grandchild in the family, Harlean was nicknamed "The Baby", a moniker that would stick with her through her whole life. Without any siblings, Harlean became extremely close to her mother, and Jean Carpenter, unhappy in her marriage, turned all her focus onto her daughter. She was extremely protective and coddling to young Harlean, instilling in her a sense that Harlean owed everything she had to her mother, which in turned inspired a deep devotion from daughter to mother, another aspect which would carry through to adulthood. So coddled was young Harlean that when she began to attend school at Miss Barstow's School, a private school in Kansas City with other children at the age of five, she did not learn till then that her name was actually Harlean and not "Baby".
With her daughter at school, Mother Jean become increasingly frustrated and filed for divorce (no small matter at the time) which was finalized, uncontested, September 29, 1922 and was granted, among other things, sole custody of her daughter. Harlean would only see her father again once more in her lifetime.
v
In 1923, with hopes of becoming an actress, Mother Jean and Harlean moved to Hollywood, where Harlean briefly attended the Hollywood School For Girls. However with no good prospects forthcoming in acting for Mother Jean and dwindling finances, they returned to Kansas City within two years. In the summer of 1925, Harlean's grandfather sent her to a summer camp called Camp Cha-Ton-Ka in Michigamme, Michigan. It was during this summer that Harlean would catch scarlet fever. From there Harlean attended the Ferry Hall School in Lake Forest, Illinois. Freshman were paired with a "big sister" from the senior class, and fifteen-year-old Harlean was paired up with a girl who would introduce her to nineteen-year-old Charles "Chuck" McGrew, heir to a large fortune in the fall of 1926. Harlean and McGrew fell in love and were married at the end of 1927, to the annoyance of Mother Jean (who had earlier that year married Marino Bello) - marriage would free Harlean from her control.
Shortly after the marriage, Chuck McGrew turned twenty-one and received part of his large inheritance and the couple moved to Los Angeles, where Harlean thrived as a wealthy socialite and more importantly away from her mother. In Los Angeles, Harlean befriended Rosalie Roy, a young aspiring actress. Lacking a car, Roy asked Harlean to drive her to Fox Studios for an appointment she had. It was there, sitting in the car waiting for her friend, Harlean was noticed by Fox executives
In the spring of 1928 back in Los Angeles and married to Charles McGrew, III, Harlean was introduced to Fox studio executive when she drove a friend to her appointment there. Although she expressed disinterest in acting, the executive insisted on writing her letters of introduction to Fox and The Central Casting Bureau.
Weeks later, on a dare from friends, she returned to Fox's casting office and signed in under her mother's maiden name, Jean Harlow.
Weeks later, at her mother's insistence and after turning down other job opportunities, Jean appeared in her first film, Honor Bound as an unbilled extra, for $7 dollars a day.
This led for to other roles, and Harlow landed bit parts in silent films such as Why is a Plumber? (1927), Moran of the Marines (1928) and The Love Parade (1929).
She had a more substantial role in Laurel and Hardy's short Double Whoopee (1929). She got her first major role when producer Howard Hughes cast her in the World War I film Hell's Angels (1930).
Notable for its two-strip Technicolor sequences (including some footage of Harlow in color, the only existing color footage of her), this film launched Harlow as the premier sex symbol of the 1930s and started a craze for platinum blonde hair that continues to this day.
What was notable about this was in Hollywood, only the "good girls" were blonde and the "bad girls" were brunette - Harlow's vamps turned that stereotype on its head and woman across the nation rushed to bleach their hair in wake of Harlow's rapidly rising popularity.
Loaned out by Hughes' Caddo Company to other studios, in 1931, Harlow began to gain more attention when she appeared in The Public Enemy, Goldie, The Secret Six with Clark Gable, and Platinum Blonde with Loretta Young.
Though the films were moderate hits, Harlow's acting ability was damned by critics as awful and was mocked, with some saying she ruined any scene she was in.
With Harlow's star on the ascent, she gained the attention of studio brass at MGM who bought out her contract from Howard Hughes. MGM was where Harlow would become "Harlow", not only with the image but be given superior movie roles to show off not only her beauty but her natural talent for comedy. In 1932 she had the starring roles in Red-Headed Woman, for which she received a salary of $1,250/week, and Red Dust, her second film with Clark Gable.These films showed her to be much more at ease in front of the camera and highlighted her skill as a comedienne. Harlow and Gable worked well together and co-starred in a total of six films.
It was during the making of Red Dust that Harlow's second husband, MGM producer Paul Bern (neé Paul Levy) committed suicide at Harlow's home, creating a scandal that reverberates to this day. Initially, the Hollywood community whispered Harlow had killed Bern herself, though this was just rumor and would quickly be disproven. Harlow would survive this, one of the first great Hollywood scandals, and would come through unscathed and more popular with audiences than ever.
Years later it was suggested by screenwriter Ben Hecht that Bern was murdered by an unbalanced former lover, Dorothy Millette, who actually committed suicide the next day. (Years later, the Bern-Harlow house became the home of Jay Sebring and, for a time, Sharon Tate. They and others were murdered there by Charles Manson's followers in August of 1969.
By 1933, Harlow was becoming a superstar. She had a great comedic part in Dinner at Eight, and later that year she starred in Bombshell.
Because of Harlow's indiscreet affair with boxer Max Baer (Heavy Weight Champion of the World and key figure in the recent film 'Cinderella Man'), Mrs. Baer threatened divorce proceedings, naming Harlow as a co-defendant for "alienation of affection," then the common term for adultery.
MGM diffused the situation by arranging a quick fixed marriage between Harlow and cinematographer Harold Rosson. Still feeling the aftershocks of the mysterious Bern death, the studio didn't want another Harlow scandal on its hands. Rosson and Harlow were prior friends, and the gentle cameraman went along with the plan. They divorced quietly seven months later.
After the hits that were 'Hold Your Man' and 'Red Dust', MGM realized the goldmine of the Harlow-Gable vehicle, putting them in two more films: China Seas (1935) and Wife vs. Secretary (1936). Other co-stars included Spencer Tracy, Robert Taylor and William Powell. She was allegedly involved romantically with Gable, Powell and Taylor.
By the mid-1930s Harlow was becoming one of the biggest stars in America and the foremost female star at MGM; Harlow was still a young woman with her star continuously on the ascendant while by this point the popularity of other female stars at MGM such as Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer were waning. Her movies continued to make huge profits at the box office even during the middle of the Depression; some credit Harlow's films with keeping MGM in the black while other studios fell into bankruptcy.
Following the end of her third marriage, Harlow met MGM star William Powell and quickly fell in love. They reportedly were engaged for two years, but differences kept them from marrying swiftly (she wanted children; he did not). Harlow also said that studio head Louis B. Mayer would never allow them to wed.
Harlow fell ill with influenza during the early part of 1937; although she recovered, the attack weakened her body against the onslaught of a more serious illness that was just beginning to take hold: kidney failure. In retrospective analysis, Harlow's kidneys may have been slowly failing during the ten years since she contracted scarlet fever while in her early teens. In the days before kidney dialysis and transplants, this condition was fatal.
While filming Saratoga (1937) with Clark Gable, Harlow collapsed on set and was rushed to the hospital, diagnosed with uremic poisoning). She died just days later, at the age of 26.
Harlow is buried at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, in Glendale, California. William Powell paid for her tomb, which bears the simple inscription "Our Baby". Her funeral took place in the Wee Kirk O' The Heather Chapel at Forest Lawn Cemetery.
She was buried in the negligee that she had worn just weeks before, while filming a scene from the movie Saratoga. It's been reported that a single white gardenia with an unsigned note attached that read "Good night, my dearest darling" were placed in her hands. It is assumed that both were from William Powell, who also paid for her final resting place—the $25,000, 9x10-foot private room lined with multicolored imported marble located in the "Sanctuary of Benediction".
Many myths have swirled around Harlow's death and it was not until the early 1990s that her long-sealed medical records were uncovered. Legend had it that Harlow's mother, a follower of Christian Science, prevented doctors from attending to her dying daughter, but this myth has been extinguished; records prove Harlow received constant medical attention. Other long-standing myths, such as the suggestion that Harlow's kidneys were damaged in a beating from husband Paul Bern or that bleach from her hair seeped into her brain and killed her, are equally untrue.
Harlow was linked to American mobster Bugsy Siegel and was the godmother of his daughter Millicent. She also dated mobster Abner Zwillman at one time. He bought her a Cadillac and a jeweled bracelet, as well as getting her a two-picture deal with Harry Cohn of Columbia Pictures due to a loan he made to Cohn.
Was the idol of Marilyn Monroe, who said she had a scrapbook with pictures and writing about Harlow as a child. Monroe's life mirrored Harlow's in many ways: Both were hugely famous, blonde sex symbols; both had several failed marriages and both suddenly died young under strange circumstances.
Is one of the many classic stars name-checked in Madonna's 1990 hit "Vogue", as well as the songs "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes and "I've Never Been to Me" by Charlene.
Jean's beautiful green eyes were deep-set and she had to be lit just so for film and photo sessions in order to bring them out in contrast to the angle of her nose and the cleft in her chin. Her trademark extremely-arched eyebrows were drawn in after her own comparatively straight eyebrows were shaved off.
Although a natural ash blonde, Harlow achieved her trademark platinum tresses through weekly bleaching sessions using a mixture of peroxide, ammonia, Clorox and Lux Flakes—an extremely painful and harsh process.
Harlow died as her last film, Saratoga, was 90% completed. Word got out that MGM intended either to reshoot the film with a new actress or scrap it altogether. Hearing this news, thousands of fans wrote letters to MGM asking them not to scrap Harlow's last film, but to release it to theaters. The last 10% of the film was completed using a soundalike and a body double, Mary Dees, mostly accomplished with wide-angle shots. The film broke box-office records and became the biggest picture of Harlow's career. Clark Gable remarked that during filming scenes after Harlow's death, he felt as if he "were in the arms of a ghost."
Two competing films, both titled Harlow, were released in 1965. Carroll Baker played Jean in the more successful film, although Baker was almost a decade older than the age Harlow was when she died. More age-appropriate, but less successful at the box office, was Carol Lynley in her "quickie" film version. In the 1950's, there was talk that Marilyn Monroe might make a film on Harlow's life for 20th Century-Fox and Columbia Pictures considered making a Harlow biopic with either Cleo Moore or Kim Novak but neither project got off the ground.
Gwen Stefani made her acting debut playing Jean Harlow in the 2004 Martin Scorsese movie The Aviator. Like Baker, Stefani was 34 when she played Jean Harlow—who was 19 years old at the time she was discovered by Hughes.
Marilyn Monroe was offered a part to star as Harlow in a biopic of her life. Monroe initally turned it down, saying "I hope they don't do that to me when I'm gone". With later renewed interest, Monroe was scheduled to meet with prospective producers of a Harlow film the week she died.
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◊What they thought of her◊
"Harlow was not frightened of the camera; she reacted to it, and in some strange way, I was the third party - THEY were the conspirators."
-- George Hurrell (MGM chief photographer)
"In the first sitting I fell in love with Jean Harlow. She had the most beautiful and seductive body I ever photographed."
-- Charles Sinclair Bull (portrait photographer) |
"A square shooter if there ever was one."
-- Spencer Tracy
"Always, she is so straightforward and human and pleasant to observe that she is of inordinate value to a film that certainly does require her gifts."
-- Richard Watts, Jr. from the New York Herald Tribune
"She didn't want to be famous. She wanted to be happy."
-- Clark Gable
Contributed By : Kat (Razor Heretic) |
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◊Sylvia Plath◊
◊Ennui
by: Sylvia Plath ◊
Tea leaves thwart those who court catastrophe,
designing futures where nothing will occur:
cross the gypsy’s palm and yawning she
will still predict no perils left to conquer.
Jeopardy is jejune now: naïve knight
finds ogres out-of-date and dragons unheard
of, while blasé princesses indict
tilts at terror as downright absurd.
The beast in Jamesian grove will never jump,
compelling hero’s dull career to crisis;
and when insouciant angels play God’s trump,
while bored arena crowds for once look eager, |
hoping toward havoc, neither pleas nor prizes
shall coax from doom’s blank door lady or tiger.
◊About Sylvia Plath◊
Sylvia Plath (October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet, novelist, short story writer, and essayist. Most famous as a poet, Plath is also known for The Bell Jar, her semi-autobiographical novel detailing her struggle with clinical depression, specifically bipolar disorder. Plath and Anne Sexton are credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry that Robert Lowell and W.D. Snodgrass initiated. Since her suicide, Sylvia Plath has risen to iconic status. While married to Ted Hughes, her husband wrote a poem 'Wind', this poem was seen to have shown the storminess of their relationship and how distant they were with one another. Sylvia Plath's suicide was said to have been caused by the fact that Ted Hughes had separated from her in the prior year.
Sylvia started her life in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts on October 27, 1932. During her early childhood, Sylvia's father Otto suffered from a lengthy illness. Otto, certain he had cancer, did not seek treatment initially. When he finally did see a doctor, a case of diabetes was diagnosed but by that time his illness was advanced. His end was fraught with suffering which included the amputation of a leg. Reference to the leg is made in "Daddy" Otto died just days past Sylvia's 8th birthday.
Sylvia was an excellent student and in 1950 she was accepted into Smith College on a scholarship. She was at the top of her class and should logically have been very happy. That was not the case. She lived in fear that it would be found out that she wasn't the perfectly happy person she tried to project. In 1952 she won the first prize of $500 from Mademoiselle magazine for her short story "Sunday at the Minton’s". The following June 1953, Sylvia was a guest editor at the Mademoiselle New York offices, which she later wrote about in The Bell Jar. She came home from New York in a state of exhaustion and depression. She was counting on being accepted into Frank O'Connor's creative writing course at Harvard and when she wasn't, she went into a state of withdrawal. She was distraught, scared inside, unable to sleep or function, but still determined to show the world a brave face. On August 24th, unable to carry on any longer, she attempted suicide. For the next months she was institutionalised at Maclean Hospital and was treated with insulin therapy and shock treatments. During this period of hospitalisation, Sylvia unknowingly was collecting material for her novel The Bell Jar and short story "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams".
In October 1955, Sylvia attended Newnham College at Cambridge University on a Fulbright scholarship. After a series of go nowhere relationships and numerous blind dates, Sylvia met Ted Hughes at a St. Botolph's party on February 25, 1956. They were married on a rainy day in London on June 16th of the same year and honeymooned in Benidorm, Spain. Ted Hughes describes the details of their wedding beautifully in his poem "A Pink Wool Knitted Dress" in Birthday Letters.
After the conclusion of her studies at Cambridge in the spring of 1957, Sylvia was asked to teach English at Smith College, where she had taken her undergraduate studies. Sylvia returned to America, bringing her husband with her. Her mother, Aurelia Plath, made them a present of a vacation on Cape Cod. Sylvia was excited at the prospect of teaching English, an obvious favorite subject area. She wasn't long on the faculty when she felt overwhelmed. She chastised herself for presuming that she could teach. The preparatory work was exhausting and she perceived the faculty's coldness to her. She had dreamed of giving marvellous lectures and leisurely writing her book. As was her lot, she must be brilliant and make it look as "easy as pie". She was sick frequently and most unhappy. When the year was over, she did not return. The College was very satisfied with Sylvia's performance, but Sylvia felt she had failed and she wouldn't go back for another year. Already Sylvia was beginning to have doubts about Ted's love for her. She needed constantly to be reassured. Sylvia took a less taxing clerical position as a receptionist in the psychiatric clinic of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and continued with her writing. In early December of 1958 she began to secretly see Ruth Boucher, her therapist from McLean, where she had been hospitalized after her earlier suicide attempt in the summer of 1953. She also attended an evening poetry class, which was given by Robert Lowell, whose confessional style influenced Sylvia’s poetry.
In December 1959 Sylvia and Ted returned to England. Sylvia was pregnant and due to give birth in the spring of 1960. On April 1st, Frieda Rebecca was born. During her pregnancy, on February 10th, Sylvia signed a contract with William Heinemann Ltd. to publish The Colossus, which was to come out in October 1960. Outwardly Sylvia showed amazing energy. She scoured and scrubbed their London flat, wanting a pretty home for herself, her husband and their yet to be born baby. Inwardly she felt exhausted and barely able to carry on, but unwilling to let the world know and her circumstances pressed in on her. She wanted everything, and the writing was her outlet and her curse. It was both her salvation and her undoing.
The following February 1961 a miscarriage left Sylvia feeling depressed. She wrote of it in a poem "Parliament Hill Fields".
In August 1961 the Hughes family moved to a Devon farm and Sylvia was isolated. Ted had become more removed from her. A son Nicholas Farrar was born on January 17th, 1962. In July, Sylvia discovered Ted's affair with Assia Wevill. Sylvia and Ted separated in September. In the following month Sylvia wrote at least 26 of the Ariel poems.
In December 1962, Sylvia took the children with her to London and moved into an apartment at 23 Fitzroy Road, which was the former home of poet William Butler Yeats. The Bell Jar was published under the pseudonym of Victoria Lucas in January 1963. On February 11, 1963 Sylvia gave up her life.
Although Sylvia Plath's life was brief in conventional terms, her life was rich in experiences. She received accolades in the form of prizes, awards, and scholarships. She had literary successes, although none so great as those that were endowed on her post-humorously. In 1982 she received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for her Collected Poems.
Sylvia Plath was many things to many people; she was daughter, sister, student and teacher, wife and mother, and finally a writer. In death, she continues to influence people for more than her literary excellence.
She was a bright, intelligent, and determined young woman with a need to succeed and a burning desire to write. Sylvia had other needs that clashed with her literary ambitions. She dreamed of the comfort of a home of her own where she could belong and be loved for herself. She wanted a good husband and children. In school and outside of it, she was a high achiever never being able to quite reach the very high expectations she set for herself. No one was able to drive Sylvia more than herself. She knew self-doubt and depression. Yet to the world she presented a carefree, it's so easy attitude. In reality she worked, pushing herself relentlessly, whether in her studies, her teaching, in her relationships or her writing. Only those nearest to her knew how troubled Sylvia's life was.
♠Life♠
Plath was born in Boston to a German father and an Austrian-American mother. She showed early promise, publishing her first poem at the age of eight. Her father, Otto, a college professor and noted authority on the subject of bees, died of an embolism following surgery (complications from undiagnosed diabetes) on November 5, 1940. She was eight years old at the time, and, upon his death, she was quoted to have said "I'll never speak to God again." The pain felt as a young girl was carried with her throughout her life, indicated through her continual use of bees in her poetry as allusions to her father's life. Plath never fully recovered from the loss of her father. She continued to try to publish poems, and in August of 1950, her first short story, "And Summer Will Not Come Again" appeared in Seventeen magazine.
A self-portrait circa 1951.Sylvia suffered from bouts of severe depression throughout her life. She had entered Smith College on a scholarship in 1950, but in the summer of 1953, after her return from a guest editorship at Mademoiselle magazine in New York, she experienced a severe episode of depression and was treated with a regimen of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and, subsequently, at the beginning of her junior year, on August 24, 1953, she made the first of her suicide attempts. She was committed to a mental institution (McLean Hospital), and seemed to make an acceptable recovery, graduating from Smith summa cum laude in 1955, the same year she won the prestigious Glascock Prize competition for her poem "Two Lovers and a Beachcomber by the Real Sea." She later depicted her breakdown in her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar.
Plath earned a Fulbright scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where she continued writing poetry, occasionally publishing her work in the student newspaper Varsity. At Cambridge she met English poet Ted Hughes. They were married on June 16, 1956 (Bloomsday) with Plath's mother in attendance. Plath and Hughes spent from July 1957 to October 1959 living and |
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