Everyman's English, from language to culture

POWER (FORMS & SEATS)

Socrates

By McGovern

The trial of Socrates (399 BC) occurred in the Heliaea, a popular tribunal, located at the bottom of Athens’s Agora. The heliastes (judges) mistook Socrates for a sophist (in a time when the sophists were commonly blamed for the defeat in the Peloponneses...

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FORMS & SEATS OF POWER

Hong-Kong, umbrella revolution

By McGovern

The "Umbrella Revolution" in HongKong (September 2014) The “umbrella revolution” took place in Hong-Kong streets in September 2014. It illustrates the attempt at citizen empowerment in a country where the individual is crushed by mass and an invisible...

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FORMS & SEATS OF POWER

Stock exchange, Wall Street

By McGovern

Approaching NYSE (New York Stock Exchange) The New York Stock Exchange in Wall Street is in no way a political form of power; indeed one of the smallest streets in NYC is home to the vital centre of financial decisions; traders, shareholders of multinationals...

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FORMS & SEATS OF POWER

Buckingham Palace, monarchy

By McGovern

Both a dwelling and a world-famous sightseeing place, Buckingham Palace has remained, long after the British Empire disappeared, the symbol of monarchy. « The Queen doesn’t rule but reigns », meaning her power is all influential in character. Buckingham...

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FROM MANDELA TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC

By McGovern

FROM MANDELA TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN REPUBLIC - A short biography of Nelson Mandela - Date of Birth: July 18, 1918 Place of Birth: Eastern Cape of South Africa Parents: Father: - Gadla Henry Mphakanyiswa. Mother: Nosekeni Fanny. 1918 July 18: Rolihlahla...

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Affirmative Action in the U.S.A.

By McGovern

A History and Timeline of Affirmative Action After an article by Borgna Brunner and Beth Rowen Source : http://www.infoplease.com/spot/affirmative1.html March 6, 1961 Executive Order 10925 makes the first mention of "affirmative action"… July 2, 1964...

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SPANISH IN U.S. AMERICA

By McGovern

WHO SPEAKS SPANISH IN U.S. AMERICA ? (adapted from Wikipedia) - 38.3 million native speakers (2012: 38.3 million people aged five or older, a figure more than double that of 1990). - Official language in Puerto Rico; recognised minority language in Arizona,...

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ALDOUS HUXLEY (1894–1963)

By McGovern

- IMPORTANT DATES : 1911: blind for almost three years years ; close to the Bloomsbury Circle from 1914 to 1920. Then became closer to D. H. Lawrence. Moved to (and worked for) Hollywood from 1937, settled in Taos (New Mexico, 1938) and became a Vedantist....

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UK : BROMLEY CELEBS

Blyton Enid, Bowie David, Bromley (West), Cahill Tim, Darwin Charles, Kureishi Hanif, Napoleon III

By McGovern

Answers from http://www.imdb.com/search/name?birth_place=Bromley%2C+Kent%2C+England%2C+UK& and http://www.bromley.towntalk.co.uk/local/famous-people/d/422/malcolm-campbell/ The most famous show-business people born in Bromley: - Jerome Flynn (Bronn dans...

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Mid-November in Kensington

By McGovern