Mickey Mouse

Mickey Mouse is a comic animal cartoon character who has become an icon for The Walt Disney Company. Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks[1] and voiced by Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928 upon the release of Steamboat Willie.[2] The anthropomorphic mouse has evolved from being simply a character in animated cartoons and comic strips to become one of the most recognizable symbols in the world.

Roles and design

Mickey as a suitor
The Barn Dance, first released on March 14, 1929, was the first of twelve Mickey shorts released during that year. It was directed by Walt Disney with Ub Iwerks as the head animator. This short is notable for featuring Mickey turned down by Minnie in favor of Pete. It is also an unusual appearance of the Pete character; previously depicted as a menacing villain, he is portrayed here as a well-mannered gentleman. In addition, Mickey was not depicted as a hero but as a rather ineffective young suitor. In his sadness and crying over his failure, Mickey appears unusually emotional and vulnerable. It has been commented, however, that this only serves to add to the audience's empathy for the character.

First gloved appearance
"Ever wonder why we always wear these white gloves?" - Various characters (with minor variations)

Mickey in gloves.
The Opry House, first released on March 28, 1929, was the second short released during the year. This short introduced Mickey's gloves. Mickey can be seen wearing them in most of his subsequent appearances. Supposedly one reason for adding the white gloves was to allow audiences to distinguish the characters' hands when they appeared against their bodies, as both were black (Mickey did not appear in color until The Band Concert in 1935). The three black lines on the backs of the gloves represent darts in the gloves' fabric extending from between the digits of the hand, typical of kid glove design of the era.

Depiction as a regular mouse
When the Cat's Away, first released on April 18, 1929, was the third Mickey short to be released that year. It was essentially a remake of one of the Alice Comedies, Alice Rattled by Rats, which had been first released on January 15, 1926. Kat Nipp makes his second appearance, though his name is given as "Tom Cat" (this describes his being a tom cat, and the character should not be confused with the co-star of the Tom and Jerry series). He is seen getting drunk on alcoholic beverages. Then he leaves his house to go hunting. In his absence an army of mice invade his house in search of food. Among them are Mickey and Minnie, who proceed to turn this gathering into a party. This short is unusual in depicting Mickey and Minnie as having the size and partly the behavior of regular mice. The set standard both before and after this short was to depict them as having the size of rather short human beings. On another note, it has been commented that[weasel words] since this short was released during the Prohibition era, the alcoholic beverages would probably have been products of bootlegging.[citation needed]
Also in the live action segments of The Hot Choc-late Soldiers from 1934, an animated Mickey Mouse not much bigger than a normal mouse interacts with Jimmy Durante.

Mickey as a soldier
The next Mickey short to be released is also considered unusual. It was The Barnyard Battle, first released on April 25, 1929. This short is notable as the first to depict Mickey as a soldier and the first to place him in combat.

Mickey's design
The character has gone through some major changes through his existence. The first one happened with The Pointer in 1939, where he got more realistic eyes, skin colored face and pear-shaped body. In the 40's, he changed once more in The Little Whirlwind, where he used his trademark pants for the last time in decades, lost his tail, got more realistic ears that changed with perspective and a different body anatomy. But this change would only last for a short period of time before returning to the one in The Pointer, with the exception of his pants. In his final cartoons in the 50's, he also got eyebrows, which were removed in the more recent cartoons.

One day Walt Disney had a vision. It was a vision of a place where children and parents could have fun together. The more Walt dreamed of a "magical park," the more imaginative and elaborate it became. The original plans for the park were on 8 acres next to the Burbank studios where his employees and families could go to relax. Although, World War II put those plans on hold. During the war, Walt had time to come up with new ideas, and creations for his magical park. It was soon clear that 8 acres wouldn't be enough.
Finally in 1953, he had the Stanford Research Institute conduct a survey for a 100-acre site, outside of Los Angeles. He needed space to build rivers, waterfalls, and mountains; he would have flying elephants and giant teacups;a fairy-tale castle, moon rockets, and a scenic railway; all inside a magic kingdom he called "Disneyland."
Location was a top priority. The property would have to be within the Los Angeles metropolitan area, and accessible by freeway. It would also have to be affordable: Walt's pockets were only so deep. The search for the best spot finally ended in the rural Anaheim, California with a purchase of a 160-acre orange grove near the junction of the Santa Ana Freeway (I-5) and Harbor Boulevard. The site where Disneyland was to be built. Although, Disneyland was expensive. Walt once said "I could never convince the financiers that Disneyland was feasible, because dreams offer too little collateral." So Walt turned to Television for his financial support. "Walt Disney's Disneyland" television series offered a glimpse of the future project. This brought the idea of Disneyland into reality for Walt and the American people. Construction for Disneyland began on July 21, 1954, a meager 12 months before the park was scheduled to open. From that day forward Walt Disney's life would never be the same. Some 160-acres of citrus trees had been cleared and 15 houses moved to make room for the park. The area was in semi-rural Orange County, near a freeway that would eventually stretch from San Diego to Vancouver.
When the real designing came around, Walt was met with inevitable questions. How do you make believable wild animals, that aren't real? How do you make a Mississippi paddle ship? How do you go about building a huge castle in the middle of Anaheim, California? So, Walt Disney looked to his movie studio staff for the answers. The design of Disneyland was something never done before. There would be five uniquely different lands.
Walt discussing the plans of all the different lands Walt had planed out all the lands, to every detail. Main Street, U.S.A., the very front of the park, was where Walt wanted to relive the typical turn of the century city Main Street. He said: "For those of us who remember the carefree time it recreates, Main Street will bring back happy memories. For younger visitors, it is an adventure in turning back the calendar to the days of grandfather's youth." Walt made Main Street U.S.A the entrance to a "weenie," as he called it. He said: "What you need is a weenie, which says to people 'come this way.' People won't go down a long corridor unless there's something promising at the end. You have to have something the beckons them to 'walk this way.'" Walt also had planed for an "exotic tropical place" in a "far-off region of the world." Called Adventureland. Walt said, "To create a land that would make this dream reality, we pictured ourselves far from civilization, in the remote jungles of Asia and Africa." Frontierland was made to relive the pioneer days of the American frontier. Walt said: "All of us have a cause to be proud of our country's history, shaped by the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. . .Our adventures are designed to give you the feeling of having lived, even for a short while, during our country's pioneer days."
Fantasyland was created with the goal to "make dreams come true" from the lyrics of "When You Wish Upon a Star." Walt said: "What youngster. . .has not dreamed of flying with Peter Pan over moonlit London, or tumbling into Alice's nonsensical Wonderland? In Fantasyland, these classic stories of everyone's youth have become realities for youngsters-of all ages-to participate in." Fantasyland would feature a large Sleeping Beauty Castle, and a Fantasy Village. Tomorrowland was created as a look at the "marvels of the future." Walt said: "Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. . .The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future." Although, Walt had trouble working on Tommorrowland. He said that "right when we do Tommorrowland, it will be out dated." Walt Stayed close to every detail of the Park's Construction, and he visited the site in Anaheim several times a week. Progress went sporadically despite exasperating obstacles. The Rivers of America, carved out of sandy citrus grove soil, refused to hold water. The answer was finally found in a bed of native clay: an inch layer on the river bottom formed a pad as hard as cement. Although, minor set backs did follow, progress did continue.
Plants were planted throughout the park, emptying nurseries from Santa Barbara to San Diego. Detail was made; if Walt Disney didn't like what his studio designers came up with, he'd do it himself. An example of this is Tom Sawyers Island. He thought his designers had "misunderstood the idea" so Walt took home the plans and the next day had it designed the way it appears today. Disneyland under construction in 1955 Bit by bit, Disneyland got ready for Opening Day. The staff worked around the clock to get ready. The Mark Twain was being moved, deck by deck, down the Santa Ana freeway to get to Disneyland on time. Finally, everything seemed to come together. The "magical little park" was really a $17,000,000 "Magic Kingdom." Walt's dream had come true and Disneyland was ready to open." Opening day, was a day to remember. Six thousand invitations to the Grand Opening had been mailed. By mid-afternoon over 28,000 ticket holders were storming the Magic Kingdom. Most of the tickets were counterfeit. Walt Disney was 53 when he dedicated Disneyland Park. It was a memorable ceremony. There in Town Square, Walt could look around and see the fulfillment of his hopes, dreams, and ambitions in the form of a spectacular entertainment kingdom.

Although, Opening Day was a terrible disaster. A 15 day heat wave raised temperatures up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, due to a plumbers strike, few water fountains were operating in the hot weather. Asphalt still steaming, because it had been laid the night before, literality "trapping" high heeled shoes. After opening day, the heat wave continued, and almost wiped out the park. Beside the terrible opening day conditions, the park did eventually pick up. By 1965, ten years after opening day, 50 Million visitors had come through the gates. Even though Walt Disney wasn't able to see how his park and his company prospered and grew into the 21st Century, his legacy still lives on with us. Throughout Disneyland and throughout the entire world, he will always be there.

Carla Bruni

Carla Gilberta Bruni Tedeschi[1], plus connue sous le nom Carla Bruni, est un mannequin et auteur-compositrice-interprète française d'origine italienne, née le 23 décembre 1967, à Turin, en Italie[2]. Elle est l'épouse du sixième président de la V°République française , Nicolas Sarkozy[3]. Après son mariage, elle use, en tant qu'épouse du Président de la République, des noms Carla Bruni-Sarkozy[4] ou Carla Sarkozy, tout en conservant le nom Carla Bruni pour ses activités artistiques.
Installée en France depuis l'âge de 5 ans, Carla Bruni a mené une carrière de mannequin de 1987 à 1997 puis s'est reconvertie dans la musique. Elle a écrit plusieurs titres sur l'album Si j'étais elle de Julien Clerc en 2000 puis a sorti son premier album, Quelqu'un m'a dit, en 2002. Elle a remporté en 2003 la Victoire de la musique de l’Artiste féminine de l’année. En 2007, elle sort son deuxième album No Promises. En 2008, elle sort l'album Comme si de rien n'était.

Jeunesse

Ses parents sont le compositeur d'opéra et industriel Alberto Bruni Tedeschi et l'actrice et pianiste concertiste Marysa Borini. Cependant le 9 janvier 2008, un homme d'affaires installé à Sao Paulo au Brésil depuis 30 ans, Maurizio Remmert, né en 1947, révèle officiellement qu'il est le père biologique de Carla Bruni [5],[6]. Maurizio Remmert et Marysa Borini se sont rencontrés à Turin et ont eu une relation amoureuse durable dont est née Carla Bruni. Remmert déclare que la filiation était connue d'Alberto Bruni Tedeschi depuis de nombreuses années, et qu'il a toujours traité Carla Bruni comme sa fille légitime[5]. Peu de temps avant la mort de son père en 1996, Carla Bruni a appris de sa mère l'existence de son véritable père[5]. Sa sœur aînée est l'actrice, scénariste et réalisatrice Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi. Son frère aîné, Virginio, est décédé le 4 juillet 2006. De son père naturel, elle a également une demi-sœur Consuelo Remmert[5].
En 1973, sa famille s'installe en France par peur des enlèvements par les Brigades rouges italiennes[7]. Jeune, elle apprend le piano puis la guitare. Elle baigne dans la musique depuis toute petite et a hérité de sa famille un goût pour cet art. Passionnée de littérature et d'écriture, elle compose des chansons, en griffonnant ses textes entre deux activités.
Elle suit ses études dans des internats privés suisses et français, puis poursuit des études d'architecture à Paris.

Carrière de mannequin - années 1985-1997 [modifier]
À l'âge de 19 ans, elle arrête ses études d'architecture et devient mannequin[8] pour l'agence parisienne City Models. Elle accède dès lors au rang de top model, en 1988, pour devenir une star des magazines de mode des années 1990 et défiler pour les plus grands couturiers.
En 1995, elle joue son premier rôle au cinéma dans Catwalk de Robert Leacock puis en 1997 dans Paparazzi d'Alain Berberian[9]. La même année, à l'âge de 29 ans, elle met fin à sa carrière de mannequin qui aura duré dix ans. Elle décide de se consacrer à la musique.

Voice over Internet Protocol

Voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP, IPA: /vɔɪp/) is a protocol optimized for the transmission of voice through the Internet or other packet-switched networks. VoIP is often used abstractly to refer to the actual transmission of voice (rather than the protocol implementing it). This latter concept is also referred to as IP telephony, Internet telephony, voice over broadband, broadband telephony, and broadband phone.
VoIP providers may be viewed as commercial realizations of the experimental Network Voice Protocol (1973) invented for the ARPANET providers. Some cost savings are due to using a single network to carry voice and data, especially where users have underused network capacity that can carry VoIP at no additional cost. VoIP-to-VoIP phone calls are sometimes free, while VoIP calls connecting to public switched telephone networks (VoIP-to-PSTN) may have a cost that is borne by the VoIP user.
Voice-over-IP systems carry telephony signals as digital audio, typically reduced in data rate using speech data compression techniques, encapsulated in a data-packet stream over IP.
There are two types of PSTN-to-VoIP services: Direct inward dialing (DID) and access numbers. DID will connect a caller directly to the VoIP user, while access numbers require the caller to provide an extension number for the called VoIP user

History
Voice-over-Internet Protocol has been a subject of interest almost since the first computer network. By 1973, voice was being transmitted over the early Internet.[1] The technology for transmitting voice conversations over the Internet has been available to end-users since at least the early 1980s. In 1996, a shrink-wrapped software product called VocalTec Internet Phone (release 4) provided VoIP along with extra features such as voice mail and caller ID. However, it did not offer a gateway to the PSTN, so it was only possible to speak to other Vocaltec Internet Phone users.[2] In 1997, Level 3 began development of its first softswitch (a term they invented in 1998); softswitches were designed to replace traditional hardware telephone switches by serving as gateways between telephone networks.[3]
Revenue in the total VoIP industry in the US is set to grow by 24.3% in 2008 to $3.19 billion. Subscriber growth will drive revenue in the VoIP sector, with numbers expected to rise by 21.2% in 2008 to 16.6 million. The United States' largest VoIP provider is Vonage[4].