- published: 23 May 2014
- views: 116319
Benjamin Franklin (January 17, 1706 [O.S. January 6, 1705] – April 17, 1790) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, musician, inventor, satirist, civic activist, statesman, and diplomat. As a scientist, he was a major figure in the American Enlightenment and the history of physics for his discoveries and theories regarding electricity. He invented the lightning rod, bifocals, the Franklin stove, a carriage odometer, and the glass 'armonica'. He formed both the first public lending library in America and the first fire department in Pennsylvania.
Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and indefatigable campaigning for colonial unity; as an author and spokesman in London for several colonies, then as the first United States Ambassador to France, he exemplified the emerging American nation. Franklin was foundational in defining the American ethos as a marriage of the practical and democratic values of thrift, hard work, education, community spirit, self-governing institutions, and opposition to authoritarianism both political and religious, with the scientific and tolerant values of the Enlightenment. In the words of historian Henry Steele Commager, "In a Franklin could be merged the virtues of Puritanism without its defects, the illumination of the Enlightenment without its heat." To Walter Isaacson, this makes Franklin "the most accomplished American of his age and the most influential in inventing the type of society America would become."
William Darrell "Billy" Mays, Jr. (July 20, 1958 – June 28, 2009) was an American television direct-response advertisement salesperson most notable for promoting OxiClean, Orange Glo, and other cleaning, home-based, and maintenance products on the Home Shopping Network, and through his company, Mays Promotions, Inc. He and his business partner, Anthony Sullivan, were also featured on PitchMen, a TV series that documented their work. His distinctive beard and impassioned sales pitches made him a recognized television presence in the United States and Canada. Mays was found unresponsive by his wife in his Tampa, Florida, home on the morning of June 28, 2009. He was pronounced dead at 7:45 am, appearing to have died sometime overnight.
Mays was born in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, attended Sto-Rox High School, and was raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He later attended West Virginia University, where he was a walk-on linebacker on its football team during his two years there. After dropping out, he worked for his father's hazardous waste company before moving to Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1983.
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Actors: Warwick Davis (actor), Bob Zmuda (actor), Brian Steele (actor), Frank Henenlotter (actor), Gabriel Bartalos (producer), Gabriel Bartalos (director), Gabriel Bartalos (writer), Peter Iasillo Jr. (actor), James Ojala (actor), Dave Klotz (composer), George Clayton Johnson (actor), Kurt Carley (actor), Paul Michael Bolan (actor), Captain Sensible (actor), Benoît Lestang (actor),
Genres: Horror,Actors: Carlos Alazraqui (actor), Scott Rosendall (actor), Darren T. Mangler (writer), Darren T. Mangler (actor), Darren T. Mangler (producer), Alan Heitz (actor), Jim Blanchette (actor), Courtney Sara Bell (producer), Darci Dixon (producer), Lee Pollero (actor), Jonas Mayabb (director), Jonas Mayabb (editor),
Genres: Comedy, History, Short,Actors: Stephanie Sheh (actress), Don Money (actor), José Alvarez (actor), Stu Richel (actor), Stephanie Sellars (producer), Andrea Leigh (actress), Clyde Baldo (actor), Louis Cancelmi (actor), Ken Kensei (actor), Anna Gutto (actress), Aliki Paraschis (producer), Erik Parillo (actor), Greg Wason (miscellaneous crew), Bridget Megan Clark (actress), Peter Daniel Straus (actor),
Plot: This is the story of the heroic psychological journey of Tom, a depressed insomniac locked in a small Chinatown studio that he's afraid to leave. Grieving the loss of his wife and daughter, and tormented by memories of a dysfunctional family, he hallucinates about his childhood heroes: Ben Franklin, a samurai, a '70's sitcom star, and a comic book hero--all of whom help Tom in his struggle to maintain his sanity. Meanwhile, Valkyrie, Tom's beautiful neighbor--whom he has never met--zips across Manhattan on series of disastrous blind dates in pursuit of her goal "to find the last real man in New York City, by midnight, tonight.
Keywords: character-name-in-titleActors: Ralph Archbold (actor), John Buchanan (producer), John Buchanan (writer), John Buchanan (director),
Plot: This entertaining 8 minute video, highlighting the 'real' Ben Franklin, describes a wide ranging climate change project involving students around the world. The video was conceptualized to inspire students of all ages to take part in their own independent investigation of truth surrounding our changing climate, clearly one of the hottest and most debated topics of our generation. Although the video was written and filmed independently without knowledge of how it would be used, it has since been sponsored by the largest and most well known educational and meteorological organizations worldwide. It combines history, Earth science, mathematics/statistics, computer/data visualization, English Language Learners and global communication. After hearing about the project, the soundtrack was written specifically for the video by a Grammy Award winning producer.
Genres: Biography, Documentary, History, News, Short,Actors: Terrence Howard (actor), Siddhartha Barnhoorn (composer), Robert Malone (editor), Dan Clifton (director), Dan Clifton (producer), Dan Clifton (editor), Dan Clifton (actor), Dan Clifton (writer), Joseph Zentil (producer), Evander Duck (actor), David Brooks (producer), Marymichael D'Onofrio (producer), Ralph Archbold (actor), Gian Colombo (actor), Gian Colombo (producer),
Plot: Johnny Red always wanted to be a scientist and work for NASA when he grew up. After several academic mishaps, Johnny is stuck in his suburban Pennsylvania town. When all other means of impressing the local community fail, Johnny decides to build a functioning time machine. Instead of using correct science, Johnny decides to base all of his research on action-adventure films of the 1980s and 90s. Only his girlfriend Penny and a five-year old neighbor believe in him. Johnny is humiliated on the news and discouraged by his old physics professor Howard Lorington. Lorington doesn't want Johnny to fail, he simply wants him to use real science instead of science-fiction. After Penny helps Johnny to see the error in his ways, he goes back to the professor to get the right scientific information. Working through the night, Johnny applies what he has learned from Lorington and is ready to launch the next day. He is greeted by hundreds of local residents who have come out to see their new hero.
Genres: Adventure, Short,Actors: Andrew Matthews (miscellaneous crew), Julie Ng (miscellaneous crew), Joel Hurley (miscellaneous crew), Bob Bedard (miscellaneous crew), Emily Glatter (miscellaneous crew), Dana Dubé (miscellaneous crew), Jesse Moss (actor), Toby Emmerich (producer), Crystal Lowe (actress), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (actress), Andrew Francis (actor), Tony Todd (actor), Cassandra Barbour (miscellaneous crew), Paul Prokop (miscellaneous crew), Jamie Payton (miscellaneous crew),
Plot: When Wendy Christensen has a vision of an accident on the roller coaster, resulting in her and her friends' deaths, she instantly begins to panic, causing more of her friends to be left of the ride. The remaining friends, including Wendy's boyfriend, are stuck on the roller coaster and find themselves involved in the accident. With death waiting around the corner, Wendy and Kevin Fischer must try and work out death's plan, before they and the remaining survivors end up dead.
Keywords: acoustic-guitar, alternate-ending, ambulance, amusement-park, apprehension, bare-breasts, best-friend, blinded-by-camera-flash, blood, blood-spatterActors: Bob Schieffer (actor), Larry Mendte (writer), Larry Mendte (director), Larry Mendte (producer), Larry Mendte (actor), Walter Isaacson (actor), Ralph Archbold (actor), Mike Henry (editor), Rich Edwards (producer), Jonelle Fabian (producer), Tom Tucker (actor), Derrick Pitts (actor), Philip W. Hammer (actor), Page Talbott (actress), Philip Dray (actor),
Plot: Benjamin Franklin may have been the world's first pop star because of his work with electricity. His famous kite experiment may very well have won the American Revolution. But there is strong evidence that the kite experiment never happened. This short documentary brings together some of the nation's top Franklin experts on what would have been his 300th birthday to discuss how Franklin stole lightning from the sky.
Keywords: benjamin-franklin, electricity, experiment, lightningActors: Ian Michaels (actor), Herzl Tobey (actor), Caspar Poyck (actor), Joey D'Auria (actor), LaQuita Cleare (actress), Daniel Hsia (actor), Justin Sandler (actor), Kevin Dorman (actor), Vince Marcello (actor), Jeffrey McMahon (actor), Mark Landry (actor), Michelle Kramer (miscellaneous crew), Nick Heim (writer), Nick Heim (actor), Cassie Daniels (actress),
Genres: Comedy, Short,Actors: Jules Stewart (miscellaneous crew), Robert M. Sertner (producer), Charles Fox (composer), Lamont Johnson (director), Joe Inscoe (actor), Randy Sutter (producer), Frank von Zerneck (producer), Wes Studi (actor), Wes Studi (actor), Graham Greene (actor), Pierce Brosnan (actor), Mark Joy (actor), Wes Studi (actor), Floyd 'Red Crow' Westerman (actor), Susannah Brengel (miscellaneous crew),
Genres: Action, Drama, War,Actors: Phil Proctor (writer), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (director), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (actor), Phil Proctor (producer), Phil Proctor (actor), Peter Bergman (actor), Peter Bergman (actor), Peter Bergman (actor), Peter Bergman (actor),
Genres: Comedy,Old Ben Franklin, I think we should thank him
Was a poet and a diplomat
He put a key out in a cage till he saw the lightning
strike
But what's shocking is he did more than that
Chorus:
He put my focals on the nose, made a better wood stove
The lightning rods in all the homes in Philly
He helped the declaration pass, he made music out a
class
Fought the British as a lot of things were silly
Old Ben Franklin, I think we should thank him
Was the word's most industrious guy
He said early to bed, and early the rise
Makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise
Chorus:
He put my focals on the nose, made a better wood stove
The lightning rods in all the homes in Philly
He helped the declaration pass, he made music out a
class
Fought the British as a lot of things were silly
He was a fireman
He was an inventor
He was kite flier
He was a lighter
He was... for general
An ambassador
He was a musician
A revolutionary
He was a philosopher...
Chorus:
He put my focals on the nose, made a better wood stove
The lightning rods in all the homes in Philly
He helped the declaration pass, he made music out a
class
Fought the British as a lot of things were silly
He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for
anything else
An investment in knowledge pays the best interest
Fish and gas go bad after three days
A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle
Say, hey Benny, they didn't put you on the penny
Though you... with your mighty
..a penny saved is a penny earned
So they put you on the hundred bill
Chorus:
He put my focals on the nose, made a better wood stove
The lightning rods in all the homes in Philly
He helped the declaration pass, he made music out a
class
Fought the British as a lot of things were silly