SWEET GOODBYE

                                        A SWEET GOODBYE

I know that it’s a bit late to talk about this , but I couldn’t stay like this and not say anything about one of the greatest pop stars in our ages and also my mom’s favourite singer . Of course im talking about WHITNEY ..

So as we say in Greece better late than ever ! I decided to make a short dedication for her life , through information that I collected from the internet , but im sure all these things that you will read may seem familiar to you due to thousands of articles and videos that have been produced and reproduced from the media .

 Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9 1963-February 11 2012) was an American recording artist, actress , producer and model. In 2009,the Guiness world records cited her as the most- awarded female act of all times . Houston was also one of the world’s best-selling singer , have sold over 170 million albums and singles worldwide. She released seven studio albums and three soundtrack albums, all of which have diamond , platinum or multi-platinum or gold certification.Houston’s crossover appeal on the music charts as well as her prominence on MTV, starting with her video “How Will I know “, influenced several African-American female artists to follow her footsteps.

Houston’s first acting role was as the star of the feature film The bodyguard (1992). The film’s original soundtrack won 1994 Grammy Award for album of the year . It’s lead single “ I Will Always Love You”, became best selling single by a female artist in music history . With the album Houston became the first act to sell more than a million copies of an album within a single week period .The album makes her the top female act in the top10 list of the best-selling albums of all time …

On February 11 2012 Houston was found dead in her guest room at Beverly Hilton Hotel , of causes not immediately known. News of her death , the day before and after the 2012 Grammy Awards featured prominently in American and International Media.

GOODBYE…

K O N S T A N T I N O S    K A L E M I S 

FIGHT FOR RESPECT

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHTS-FIGHT FOR JUSTICE-FIGHT FOR RESPECT

Standing up for your principles can have unpleasant consequences , and many of us are unwiling to pay the price for doing the right thing. In 1955 , however an extraordinarily brave African-American woman, Rosa Parks , changed the history of the USA by refusing to accept an unfair situation

In the 1950s , black Americans were often treated like second-class citizens , especially in the south of the country . In some states, there were laws that enforced segregation( separating people of different races ) .For example , black and white children went to different schools in these states. African Americans did not have the same social and economic opportunities as white Americans , and did not have the same access to education and health care facilities.

Rosa Parks was born and grew up in Alabama .Even as a young girl , she was aware that black people were not treated equally or fairly . School buses took white children to school , but black children had to walk to their school . Rosa also remembered being frightened by the violent behaviour of some white people towards African Americans in her neighbourhood.

In 1955 , Rosa was living and working in Montgomery , Alabama . On 1 december  Rosa got on a bus to go home after work . At that time, in Alabama , public transport was segregated .Only white people were allowed to sit in the first four rows of seats , so Rosa sat in the fifth row. After a few stops , the bus had filled up, and one white man didn’t have a seat . The bus driver ordered the people in  Rosa’s row to give up their seats. The other three people stood up, but Rosa refused. Then the driver called the police and Rosa was arrested . Later when Rosa explained her actions , she said that she was tired of injustice and wanted to put an end to such humiliating situations.

Rosa’s arrest sparked a series of protests . The first of these was a bus boycott . The organisers asked black people not to use buses in Montgomery until the racist segregation laws were changed . A group called the Montgomery Improvement Association(MIA) was formed to help organise the boycott and other protests. The leader of this group was Dr Martin Luther King , who went on to become one of the greatest heroes of the civil rights movement

The bus boycott lasted 381 days and was very difficult for those black people who were regular bus users, it was effective though .The bus company and other businesses in the centre of town that relied on black customers began to lose money . In the end as a direct result of the boycott, the law was changed and black people could sit everywhere they like on public transport .

Rosa Parks showed the people of Us and the world , that one person can make the difference. Her message , that all people are equal regardless of their race. MY message , never give up your rights , never let anyone offend your dreams , offend your feelings , you are uniqe in this world and you deserve respect , and equal treatment at all aspects !!!!!!!

                                                            K O N S T A N T I N O S

                                                                                                              K A L E M I S

WHAT A GENIUS !

                                                    WHAT A GENIUS!

                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                               

Once asked. “What is genius?” a famous philosopher replied,” A person who is different in all things”. But what exactly does that mean? Lets look at one of the best examples of a genius, Leonardo Da Vinci, the brilliant Italian painter,architect,scientist and engineer, to see if this is true.

             Born in a small town of Vinci, near Florence in Italy, Leonardo was the eldest son of a wealthy man. When he was only fourteen years old his father send him to study with a famous artist of the time and for the very beginning , Leonardo showed that he had great talent. His most famous work, the Mona Lisa,is one of the most talked about portraits ever painted. The most amazing thing about it is that her eyes seem to follow you wherever you go! It is interesting to note , though , that he only painted seventeen pictures  in his career, but they were so good that he is remembered as a great painter!

               Unlike the majority of his  fellow fifteenth-century Italians, Leonardo was a vegetarian and he was very concerned about the right of animals to be free. Another thing that set him apart from others was the fact that he was left-handed. At that time, anyone writing with their left hand was thought to be different and was often forced into using their other hand to write. Leonardo ,however refused to change and it has been said that this “difference” was part of his genius  because it allowed him to see things in a special way. He , like many other people who are left-handed, was able to write backwards and it is impossible for anyone to read his many books of notes without using a mirror!!!

          Also , Leonardo was a man whose ideas were far ahead of his time. He predicted the invention of the airplane and the submarine and even invented a large number of clever machines himself, among them an underwater diving suit, the parachute and the scissors!

          In fact , when we look at his achievements , we can see that Leonardo was unique in many ways and he left us with both works of art and inventions which have made our lives better in a number of ways!!

                                                                  Konstantinos Kalemis