December 8: *NSYNC

NSYNC received its name after Justin Timberlake’s mother commented on how “in sync” the group’s singing voices were. The group’s name is also a play on the last letter of each of the initial members’ names: JustiN, ChriS, JoeY, JasoN/Lance/LancetoN, and JC.

N- Justin Timberlake (top left)

S – Chris Kirkpatrick (bottom left)

Y – Joey Fatone (bottom right)

N – Lance Bass (top right)

C – JC Chasez (middle)

• NSYNC (sometimes stylized as *NSYNC or ‘N Sync) was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich.
• NSYNC consisted of Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass.
• Among the group’s singles, “Bye Bye Bye”, “This I Promise You”, “Girlfriend” and “It’s Gonna Be Me” reached the top 10 in several international charts, with the latter being a US Billboard Hot 100 number one.
• In addition to a host of Grammy Award nominations, NSYNC has performed at the World Series, the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games, and sang or recorded with Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Phil Collins, Céline Dion, Aerosmith, Nelly, Left Eye, Mary J. Blige, country music super group Alabama, and Gloria Estefan.

• The band completed five nationwide concert tours and has sold over 70 million records, becoming the fifth-best-selling boy band in history. Rolling Stone recognized their instant success as one of the Top 25 Teen Idol Breakout Moments of all time.
• Justin Timberlake went on to become one of the world’s best-selling music artists, with more than 32 million albums and 56 million singles sold throughout his solo career.

How *NSYNC Formed

• Chris Kirkpatrick, who had missed the cut for the Backstreet Boys, met with Lou Pearlman in 1995 to talk about forming a second group. Lou said that he would finance the group if Kirkpatrick would find other young male singers.
• So, Chris called Joey Fatone, a friend he had met while working at Universal Studios. Then, Chris and Joey approached Lou for more suggestions.
• Lou looked through some tapes they had, and one of Justin Timberlake from The Mickey Mouse Club caught his eye.
• Justin soon joined the group and recommended his friend JC Chasez, who also was a cast member on Disney Channel’s Mickey Mouse Club.

0:44 – 4:15

• They decided to even out their sound by recruiting Jason Galasso as their bass singer.
• After several weeks of rehearsals, the group set up a showcase and began planning to officially sign with Pearlman’s Trans Continental Label.
• However, at the last minute, Jason dropped out. He said that being a teen idol was never a goal of his.
• In need of a bass singer, the group auditioned several people without success. Justin soon called his vocal coach, who suggested a 16-year-old from Mississippi named Lance Bass.
• Bass flew to Orlando to audition and was immediately accepted into the group. He was nicknamed “Lansten” so they could keep the name ‘NSYNC.
• From there, Pearlman set the five boys up in a house in Orlando, Florida, where they rehearsed constantly, learning dance routines and vocal parts, and working on promotion for their first public performance at Pleasure Island on October 22, 1995.
• Pearlman hired Johnny Wright, manager of the Backstreet Boys, to manage the group. NSYNC sent him a two-song demo-tape including “I’ll Be Back for More” and “We Can Work It Out”, which impressed him.
• The group performed for him and a group of BMG executives. Although the record company had some concerns with the band’s name and Bass’s dancing abilities, they agreed to sign the group to BMG Ariola Munich with Wright as their manager.
• After being signed to BMG Ariola Munich, the group was sent to Sweden to begin working on their debut album with the help of producers such as Denniz Pop, Max Martin and Andreas Carlsson.

Album 1: *NSYNC (1997)

• The album’s official lead single, “I Want You Back”, was released in Germany on October 7, 1996, and entered the top 10 in Germany on November 18, 1996. With a record deal finally secured, the boys began touring first in German-speaking countries and later in other European territories.

• Their self-titled debut album was initially released by BMG Ariola Munich on May 26, 1997, in Germany, and peaked at number one in the second week after its release.
• The group soon became an overnight success throughout much of Europe. The album also charted successfully in both Switzerland and Austria eventually selling 820,000 units in GSA (Germany, Switzerland, Austria) region and Eastern Europe.
• The group released its second and the third singles, “Tearin’ Up My Heart” and “Here We Go”, both of which managed to reach the top-10 in numerous countries in Europe. NSYNC captured the attention of Vincent DeGiorgio, an A&R rep for RCA Records.

• After seeing the group perform in Budapest, he eventually signed them to RCA in 1998. The American label had the group record some new tracks to adjust their album for the US market.

The Rivalry between *NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys

• Does this story sound familiar? It’s basically identical to how the Backstreet Boys became famous a few years earlier. But there are some differences between these two rival boy bands.

4:16 – 9:18

Album 2: No Strings Attached (2000)

• This album was named after the fact that they were free from their contract with Lou Pearlman.
• The top singles from this album were: Bye Bye Bye, It’s Gonna Be Me, I’ll Never Stop, and This I Promise You.
• Let’s watch some more iconic music videos!

• This was the best selling album of 2000. NSYNC promoted the album through the No Strings Attached Tour in 2000, which was the second highest-grossing tour in North America of that year.
• This album was more than pop, it was a mix of pop and R&B. NSYNC were considered to be influential in crossing over music genres, which helped distinguish themselves from the Backstreet Boys.

Album 3: Celebrity

• The group’s third album, Celebrity, released on July 24, 2001, produced three singles: “Pop”, “Gone”, and “Girlfriend”.

• The album featured much more creative involvement from the group, especially Chasez and Timberlake, who wrote and produced several of the tracks.

• The album sold 1,879,955 copies in its first week, making it the second-fastest-selling album in SoundScan history at the time, only behind the group’s previous album No Strings Attached.

• To promote the Celebrity album, the group embarked on a four-month stadium tour entitled the PopOdyssey Tour. The tour earned over $90 million, becoming one of the biggest tours of 2001.

• In 2002, the band promoted their album further by embarking on the Celebrity Tour, which earned nearly $30 million.

How *NSYNC Drifted Apart

• Following the tour, the group went on a hiatus. While it was initially meant to be temporary, the group never recorded music or toured together again.’

31:06 – 38:18

• Lance Bass planned to go to space!
• In February 2002, Lena Banks, a space advocate and founder and producer of Think Tank Ink Productions, contacted Bass to propose his involvement in her Youngest Person in Space project.
• In August 2002, Bass entered cosmonaut training in Star City, Russia.
• To be admitted into training, Bass had to go through strenuous physicals that may have saved his life. It was discovered he had cardiac arrhythmia, and he agreed to undergo heart surgery.
• In 1999, he had collapsed after a concert because of his condition. After several months of training, Bass received cosmonaut certification and went on to Houston’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) to take part in astronaut training.
• He was scheduled to fly into space on the Soyuz TMA-1 mission that was to be launched on October 30, 2002. However, the many sponsorships that he had fell through due to “payment, insurance, and indemnification issues.”
• Shortly after, all of Bass’s other sponsorships fell through, including one sponsor who pulled out because they worried about the their brand being tarnished if Bass were to die on the mission.
• Bass was eventually rejected from the program, and was replaced by other young cosmonauts.

Lance Bass Comes Out at Gay

• After the band broke up, Lance Bass made the brave decision to tell the world that he is gay.
• Bass came out as gay in a cover story for People magazine on July 26, 2006.
• He said that he was afraid to come out sooner because he thought it would jeopardize the success of the band, including the careers of four people who are like brothers to him. However, some people think that it might have made the band even more successful.
• Here is a clip from the news story that aired at that time:

(until 4:38)

• Lance Bass’s announcement received a large amount of media attention. To his surprise, his sexuality was widely accepted and supported. He received “overwhelming support” from many teenagers and young adults who grew up listening to ‘N Sync.

• He was awarded the 2006 Human Rights Campaign Visibility Award.

Justin Timberlake’s Solo Career

• We could easily do a whole week on Justin Timberlake!
• After *NSYNC, his solo career took off!
• He won two Grammy Awards for his R&B-focused debut solo album Justified (2002) and its single “Cry Me a River”.

• Established as a solo artist worldwide, his first two albums both exceeded sales of 10 million copies, as he continued producing records and collaborating with other artists.

• From 2008 through 2012, Justin focused on his acting career, effectively putting his music career on hiatus. He held starring roles in four big films.
• Justin resumed his music career in 2013 with his third and fourth albums. ‘Timberlake voiced Branch in DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls, whose soundtrack includes his fifth Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping single, “Can’t Stop the Feeling!”, which earned him an Academy Award nomination.

Album 4: The Essential *NSYNC

• On July 29, 2014, a compilation of *NSYNC’s hits and unreleased songs titled The Essential *NSYNC, was released. Bass said of the album on his radio show, Dirty Pop: “There’s a lot of these songs I don’t think I’ve ever heard, I remember recording them but I’ve never heard them before, so I’m interested in just hearing them.”
• Chasez tweeted about the album’s release, stating: “I had the strangest dream last night that some old friends and I had a top 10 record on iTunes. Crazy right…”
• Kirkpatrick said of the album; “It’s great to release some of the songs that had never made a record before! I’m glad our long time fans get some new music!”
• Fatone also said; “Pretty interesting this album comes out, which I really had no idea, and it’s in the top of Amazon and iTunes… we owe it to our fans. Thank you.”
• Here’s the full album! We’re going to listen to one of their previously unreleased songs, Falling.

*NSYNC’s Legacy

• Fatone and Kirkpatrick starred in Dead 7, a western zombie film written by Backstreet Boys’ Nick Carter. The film premiered on April 1, 2016 on the Syfy channel. NSYNC received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2018.
• Entertainment Weekly ranked NSYNC as the best boy band of the period late 90s and 2000s; editor Madelne Boardman stated, “the group has a spot in pop history more than a decade late.”
• Washington Post stated it was one of the two boy bands “that dominated the late ’90s and early ’00s.”
• According to Billboard, No Strings Attached was the top album of the 2000s (decade), with The Independent listing it among the albums “that marked the decade.”
• Billboard also ranked the group at number four on their list of the biggest boy bands (from the period 1987-2012) according to chart performance, with the staff writing, “despite having one of the most short-lived boy band careers, ‘N Sync was arguably the most famous.”
• Several acts have cited the group as an influence, including Kelsea Ballerini, Selena Gomez, Meghan Trainor, Why Don’t We and Hayley Williams.

Sources

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1245374/bio

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Strings_Attached_(NSYNC_album)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lance_Bass

December 6: Tim Allen

• Tim Allen’s real name is Timothy Alan Dick. He was born on June 13, 1950. 
• His professional name is Tim Allen.
• He is an American actor and comedian.
• He is known for playing Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor on the ABC sitcom called Home Improvement. The show ran from 1991 to 1999.
• He also played the role of Mike Baxter on the ABC/Fox sitcom called Last Man Standing. It ran from 2011 to 2021.
• He used his voice for movies like Buzz Light Year for the Toy Story franchise and played Scott Calvin and Santa Claus in the movie called the Santa Clause in the franchise. He has been working on this franchise from 1994 until today.
• Other movies he was in include Tropical Snow in 1988, Galaxy Quest in 1999, Joe Somebody in 2001, Zoom in 2006, Wild Hogs 2007, the Six Wives of Henry Lafay in 2009, Crazy on the Outside in 2010, 3 Geezers! In 2013 and El Camino Christmas in 2017.

Early Life

• Tim was born in Denver Colorado on June 13 1953.
• He is the third oldest of six children.
• His mother’s name is Martha Catherine Fox. She was a community service worker. His father’s name is Gerald M Dick. He’s a real estate agent.
• Tim has two older brothers, two younger brothers, and a younger sister.
• His father unfortunately died in a car accident in November 1964. The car accident happened when his father’s car collided with a drunk driver when Tim was only 11 years old.
• Two years later his mother married her high school sweetheart, and he was a business executive.
• The family moved to Birmingham Michigan to be with her new husband and his three children.
• Tim has said that moving meant that he went from being a cool kid in a cool group of kids at school to not being popular at his new school.
• Tim attended Seaholm High School in Birmingham and majored in theatre and music classes.
• His music classes helped him start to love classical piano.
• He attended Central Michigan University and then transferred to Western Michigan University in 1974.
• While attending the University Tim worked at student radio station.
• He received a Bachelor of Science degree in communications in 1976.
• He decided to specialize in radio and television production and split a minor degree in philosophy and design.

Career

• He started his career as a comedian in 1975.
• It was because of a deer from one of his friends that he participated in a comedy night at Mark Ridley’s Comedy Castle in Royal Oak in Detroit.
• While in Detroit he began to get some recognition by appearing in local television commercials and on cable comedy shows such as Some Semblance of Sanity.
• When he was released from prison in 1981, he returned to comedy.
• He decided to move to Los Angeles and became a regular performer At the Comedy Store. 
• He began performing standup appearances on late-night talk shows and specials.
• In 1998 Western Michigan University awarded Tim and Honorary Fine Arts Degree and the Distinguished Alumni Award.
• He once told a magazine that he can only pay a part if he can use his personal experience.
• He became famous while acting on the ABC sitcom Home Improvement. It went from 1991 to 1999.
• It was produced for ABC by a company called Wind Dancer Productions. Tim co-founded the company with producer Carmen Fenestra.
• He played the main character Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor.

• In November 1994 he also starred in the highest grossing film made by Walt Disney pictures.
• It was called the Santa Clause, he topped the New York times best seller list with his book Don’t Stand Too Close to a Naked Man and appeared in the top rated television series Home improvement.
• He did all those things in November within one week of each other.

• Home Improvement ran until 1999 and Tim was paid $1.25 million US per episode.
• In 1995 Tim provided the voice of Buzz Light Year in the movie Toy Story.

• In 1997 starred in the family comedy hit Jungle 2 Jungle.
• In 1996 he returned as the voice of Buzz Light Year in Toy Story 2.
• In 1999 he starred in the sci-fi movie called Galaxy Quest.
• In 2002 he filmed the Santa Clause 2.
• In 2004 he starred as Luther Crank in Christmas with the Cranks.
• In 2006 he starred in the movie called The Shaggy Dog and the Santa Clause 3.

• He began narrating the pure Michigan television and radio commercials for the travel Michigan agency.
• The commercials can be seen and heard throughout the Midwest and began airing nationally in 2009.

• In December 2009 he started a preview tour of Crazy on the Outside. The film debuted in January 2010.
• Tim travelled with the film trying to promote it with a series of standup acts for the movie.
• During the performances he told the audience that he was planning a 2010 comedy tour. Tim directed the film, and it was his first film that he directed.
• In 2010 he was the official voice of the Chevrolet car commercials he also became the voice of the Campbell Soup Companies’ commercials.

• From 2011 to 2017 he returned to television on the show called Last Man Standing. The character is loosely based on his own life as he is a Republican father of three girls.

• In 2017, it was announced that he would be part of the Netflix original comedy called El Camino Christmas.
• In 2018 he made another cameo voice appearance as Buzz Light Year in Ralph Breaks the Internet.
• In 2019 he voiced the character in Toy Story 4 and appeared as himself in the documentary film called No Safe Spaces.
• In 2022 it was announced that Tim would reprise his role of Scott Calvin in a Disney+ miniseries called The Santa Clauses based on the films’ franchise.

Personal Life

• Tim was raised as an Episcopalian.
• On October 2, 1978, Tim was arrested at the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek international Airport for possession of over 650 g or 1.43 pounds of cocaine.
• He pled guilty to felony drug trafficking charges and provided the names of other dealers in exchange for a sentence of 3 to 7 years rather than a possible life sentence.
• He earned parole on June 12, 1981.
• He married his wife Laura on April 7, 1984. Their daughter Catherine was born in December 1989.
• In 1998 he was arrested for driving under the influence in Birmingham Michigan.
• He was sentenced to one year probation and entered a rehab clinic for alcohol abuse as part of his sentence from the court.
• He and his wife he separated in 1999 and finalized their divorce in 2003.
• Tim got re-married to his new wife Jane in October 2006 in a small private ceremony in Colorado.
• They were dating for 5 years.
• Their daughter Elizabeth was born in March 2009.
• Tim is a car enthusiast and competed in an endurance racing in a co-owned car in the 1990s.
• He also has a big car collection which he houses in a former paint shop in Southern California.
• As of 2022 the collection includes 1956 Ford F-100, a 1965 Shelby Cobra and a 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC which alone is estimated to be worth over $3,000,410.
• He also is very involved in charities that help to reduce homelessness.

Here is Tim with Ellen talking about his cat. I hope you enjoyed class today.

November 31: The Toronto Argos

• The Toronto Argonauts (officially the Toronto Argonaut Football Club and colloquially known as the Argos) are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL), based in Toronto, Ontario.

• Founded in 1873, the team is the oldest existing professional sports team in North America still using its original name, as well as the oldest-surviving team in both the modern-day CFL and East Division.
• The team’s origins date back to a modified version of rugby football that emerged in North America in the latter half of the nineteenth century. The Argonauts played their home games at Rogers Centre (originally known as SkyDome) from 1989 until 2016 when the team moved to BMO Field, the fifth stadium site to host the team.
• The Argonauts have won the Grey Cup a record 18 times and have appeared in the final 24 times.

On November 20, The Toronto Argos won the 2022 Grey Cup!

• Before we talk about the game, let’s review how the game works so the stats make sense to you!

• Football has different rules in Canada and the United States.

Grey Cup Highlights

Source: https://www.cfl.ca/games/6296/toronto-argonauts-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers/#/preview

• On Sunday at the 109th Grey Cup, they stunned the two-time defending champion Winnipeg Blue Bombers 24-23.

• McLeod Bethel-Thompson made 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards before dislocating his thumb in the fourth-quarter. He was replaced by backup QB Chad Kelly who made 4-6 passes for 43 yards and had a key scramble that helped set up a touchdown. Argos’ defensive lineman Robbie Smith made a game-saving field goal block to secure the dramatic win, giving the Boatmen their 18th Grey Cup.

• Zach Collaros was 14-23 for 183 yards, a touchdown and an interception on an injured ankle, as the Bombers’ bid to become the CFL’s first three-peat champion in 42 years fell short.

• Janarion Grant set a Grey Cup record with his 102-yard fourth-quarter punt return touchdown.

• The Argos triumphed in front of a raucous, Winnipeg-friendly crowd at Mosaic Stadium, which saw the Twisted Tea Halftime Show that featured Jordan Davis, Tyler Hubbard of Florida Georgia Line and Canada’s own Josh Ross keep fans entertained for the entirety of their Sunday night.

Highlights from the winning game:

https://www.argonauts.ca/2022/11/20/cfl-game-highlights-toronto-argonauts-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers-november-20-2022/

More highlights and interviews:

https://www.argonauts.ca/2022/11/20/cfl-game-highlights-toronto-argonauts-vs-winnipeg-blue-bombers-november-20-2022/

• The Argonauts hold the best winning percentage in the championship game (75%) and have the longest active winning streak in games that they have appeared in.
• The Argonauts have faced every current western CFL team at least once in the Grey Cup, while their most celebrated divisional rivalry has been with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
• The Argonauts also claim to be the oldest professional football team in North America. The claim is debatable, as the Hamilton Tigers date to 1869; they merged with the Hamilton Wildcats in 1950 to form the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

What is an Argonaut?

• Since the team’s foundation in 1873, “the Argonauts” name has been in continuous use, a record in North American professional sports.

• The name “Argonauts” is derived from Greek mythology.
• According to legend, Jason and the Argonauts were a group of heroes who set out to find the Golden Fleece aboard the ship Argo sometime before the Trojan War.
• Since the Argo was the name of a ship, the name “Argonaut” was adopted by a group of amateur rowers in Toronto in 1872.
• The Argonaut Rowing Club, which still exists today, went on to found the football club with the same name a year later.
• Since the football club began as a rowing team, the football team is often referred to as the “boatmen” and, less often, the “scullers”.
• In the 19th century, the most renowned rowing teams in the world were from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge in England.
• The Toronto rowers, many of whom had associations with the English schools, adopted uniforms incorporating the light blue of Cambridge and the dark blue of Oxford.
• The footballers adopted the colours and the phrase “double blue” as a team name.
• Thanks to the Argos, blue has become the traditional colour of top-level teams in Toronto (e.g. the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Blue Jays).

Logos and Colours

For most of the team’s history, the logo featured some form of a boat, often incorporating a football.

Source: https://web.archive.org/web/20140208004648/http://argonauts.ca/page/uniforms-and-logos

• It’s interesting to see how a team’s logo and branding has evolved, especially when they have been around for so long. Here are some changes throughout time:

1873 to 1955

1956 to1978

1976 to 1989

1976 to 1989

1991 to 1994

1995 to 2004

2005 to Present

Community Work

Source:

Community Highlights

TORONTO ARGONAUTS HOLLAND BLOORVIEW TAKEOVER

The Toronto Argonauts have started a new team tradition with Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. The full team visits onsite classrooms, bedsides, physical therapy rooms, playrooms, the gym and the playground in true takeover fashion. Players hand out gift bags, take photos, sign autographs and bring smiles and long-lasting memories to all the children and their families.

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YOU CAN PLAY

In celebration of Pride, the Toronto Argonauts are proud to partner with You Can Play to ensure the equality, respect and safety of all athletes, without regard to sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The Argos work to promote inclusion in sport in a variety of ways, including player PSAs, social media outreach and in-game activations at the You Can Play awareness night.

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GREEN AWARENESS

The Toronto Argonauts are committed to improving football’s environmental impact. In addition to promoting the cause online and in-stadium, the Toronto Argonauts purchase Renewable Energy Credits and host park clean-up events throughout the community.

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FIRST RESPONDERS – TORONTO POLICE SERVICE

This year, the Toronto Arognauts have partnered with the Toronto Police Service as part of a longstanding commitment to Toronto’s First Responders. This partnership works to highlight the hard work and dedication of the police in our community. The Argos will continue to honour the Toronto Fire Services, Toronto Paramedic Services, and Toronto Police Services at their First Responders awareness games each season.

HUDDLE UP

Source:

The Huddle Up Bullying Prevention Program is an all-encompassing initiative for students to influence positive change in their school community.

The Toronto Argonauts, Raptors, Maple Leafs and TFC have joined forces with Canada’s leading authority on bullying prevention, PREVNet, to bring bullying education and awareness into schools. Messaging is amplified by the voices of professional athletes through school visits, events, PSAs and a new online learning platform for grades 6-9. Established in 2001 by the Toronto Argonauts, Huddle Up has impacted over 8000 students annually.

November 29: Construction Workers

Definition of a Construction Worker

• The definition of a construction worker can be used to describe several positions within the industry.
• But it typically refers to someone who performs a variety of general construction tasks during all phases of the construction project.
• However, a person can specialize in certain areas of construction.
• Some of the areas are tearing down buildings, removing hazardous materials, building highways and roads, digging tunnels and mine shafts, and laying concrete or asphalt.
• They use a variety of tools and equipment while doing their work.
• Some of them can be as simple as brooms and shovels.
• Other bigger equipment is more sophisticated. Some examples are pavement breakers, jackhammers and surveying equipment.

Different Roles for Construction Workers

• When doing construction work there are many tasks that are performed.
• A lot of different skills are needed.
• There are many different jobs in the field of construction work but not all of them are on a construction site.
• Some examples of jobs that people can do in the field of construction are:

Construction Manager

• They are responsible for the management and planning during every stage of a construction project. They make sure the projects are completed safely and within a budget as well as being finished on time. At as a construction manager at you would manage everyone’s schedules and give tasks to people on your team to make sure that each phase of the building goes as the supposed to.

Architect

• Architects are very creative people. They create and design buildings and spaces all around us. They bring new buildings to life and restore or renovate houses or buildings. They work with others to make sure that designs will make the buildings that are being built safe and secure whether there building houses, large buildings or new developments.

Site Foreman

• Site Foreman organize the work that people do on building sites. They make sure it’s completed safely, on time and within a budget. They work with architects, surveyors and builders to make sure a project is on track, that there is enough staff working and they make sure that the workers have the machinery and materials they need to get the job done.

General Construction Operative

• General Construction Operatives are involved in a lot of different tasks on a construction site. They can work on projects varying from the foundation to the completion of the work. They can prepare the site ahead of starting to build and assist the construction workers doing their work. Some of the tasks that they can be involved in are the mixing and pouring of the concrete, moving and unloading materials and operating machinery and a lot more different things.

Civil Engineer

• Civil Engineers plan, design and manage large construction projects. They could be involved in building bridges, buildings, and other major projects. They use computer modelling software data and surveys, tests and maps to create blueprints for the projects that are working on. These are important plans because they advise contractors on the best way to help minimize the environmental impact and risk.

Electrician

• Electricians work to provide buildings with energy to light rooms, heat water and turn on devices. They install, inspect and test electrical equipment to make sure it works properly and is safe. An electrician may work in homes, shops and offices. They can work with motors, transformers, streetlighting or traffic systems. They also can work on engineering projects.

Machinery Used in Construction Work

Hydraulic Mobile Stone Crusher

• Hydraulic driven stone crushers are mostly used in road construction, bridge construction, building and mining. They are used to crash materials such as granite, marble, iron ore, copper ore, coal, and other materials.

Self-Loading Concrete Mixer

• These machines reduce a lot of the work and time of the construction workers. One operator can weigh and load the exact amount of cement, sand and other materials from different locations and make the concrete while bringing it to the worksite. Some of the features of this concrete mixer are its reliability and high-performance concrete mixing, its compact design and its fully automatic operation.

Mini Dumper

• The mini dumper truck can carry a maximum load weight of 250 kg. It is used on outdoor sites to carry bricks, cement bags, sand and stones around different building sites. Some of the accessories they have are a flatbed, extending sides, a ball hitch and a power lift.

Concrete Pump Truck

• Concrete pump trucks can place the concrete right where you need it. By pumping concrete, it saves on the labor cost and reduces the manpower that you need to place the concrete.

Excavators

• An excavator is a type of machinery that can be driven on wheels or tracks. But tracks are more commonly used for such large machinery. An excavator has a long arm that is attached to the car in which the driver sits, and it can rotate up to 360°. Some of the common uses for an excavator are material handling, digging trenches, brush cutting, destruction of a building, heavy lifting, pipe installation, and mining. There are different types of excavators. Some of them are, a compact excavator, a crawler excavator, wheeled excavators, bucket wheel excavators and long reach excavators.

Backhoe Loaders

• Backhoe loaders look like a farm tractor with an adjustable shovel that is attached to the back for digging. This is a medium-sized construction machine and is capable of working in a small space. It can move dirt, backfill excavations, dig holes in trenches and place pipes and other materials into a certain area. The bucket in the back can be changed to help dig trenches of different sizes.

Bulldozers

• A bulldozer is very powerful and is extremely heavy. It is used to move a lot of dirt. It is the strongest and most solid machine used in construction. Bulldozers have a wide, flat blade in the front that is operated by using two hydraulic handles to move the blade in a small range of angles and depths. The weight of a bulldozer can crush the solid stones it goes over while moving.

Skid Steer Loaders

• They are small and quick and can turn on a dime. The turning radius is similar to a tank. It has good traction in the snow and mud. These machines can come in different sizes and are equipped with different tools to dig, drill, move snow and can be used to jack hammer.

Motor Graders

• Motor Graders are a piece of heavy machinery that can move at different angles to create flat surfaces. They are mostly used to finally grade dirt or gravel on roads or to prepare where the new road will be going.

Crawler Loaders

• This machine is a mixture between an excavator and the backhoe. The tracker wheels give it a lot of stability and its bucket makes it useful for moving soil and debris or loading materials onto waiting trucks. Crawler loaders are also used to excavate on relatively small projects.

Trenchers

• This machine is used to dig trenches that are usually narrow trenches that are for piping and putting cables in the ground. It ranges in size from a small machine that people walked behind to a very large machine that can cut asphalt pavement and other hard services. It uses a conveyor system that carries the excavated material and puts it onto the ground next to the trench.

Scrapers

• A scraper can move dirt and piles of different materials quickly around a construction site. It is used mainly for digging and leveling large areas of land. Scrapers are large heavy machinery that are designed for open areas where they can move At high speeds to cut through and fill spaces of land.

Dump Trucks

• Dump trucks are needed on every large job site. Dump trucks have the important job of dumping many types of heavy materials. They can also bring the heavy material into the work site or out of the site and can travel anywhere. They come in many different sizes and can hold many different amounts of construction materials.

Here is one on Kerr’s cottage property during construction.

Kerr’s cottage is under construction. He and Tina have provided me with pictures.

Here are some pictures of it now before it’s rebuilt.

Kerr and Tina even interviewed some of the construction workers working on the cottage. Here is what they said:

Do you like working in construction/design?

Both men said that they enjoyed their work a lot

Do you like working in the winter?

The answer varied for each of the men.  The designer said he worked in an office, so it did not matter.

The builder Dan said he lives in Canada, so it is not really a factor (used to it) and it has always been like that

Why did you become an builder/designer?

The designer Mark said he had past experience creative experience, so he went to school (7 years) and got his qualifications.  He had to pass government standards

What training did you need?

The builder Dan said he needed a job and this was the only one he was good at . Seriously, his grandfather owned a construction business, he grew up with it and learned as a youngster. 

Thank you so much Kerr and Tina for all your help with this subject. I thought we finished class by watching a Tiny Tim video talking to a builder.

November 22: The Spice Girls

• The Spice Girls are a British girl group that formed in 1994. 
• The members of the group names are Melanie Brown who was also known as Mel B and Scary Spice, Melanie Chisholm or Mel C also known as Sporty Spice, Emma Bunton known as Baby Spice, Geri Halliwell also known as Ginger Spice and Victoria Beckham also known as Posh Spice.
• Girl power was their mantra. They targeted they targeted the young female audience and lead the team pop resurgence of the 1990s.
• The group was formed by auditioning for managers Bob and Chris Herbert who had the idea to create a girl group that would compete with British boy bands that were popular during that time.
• Here is a copy of the ad that was placed to recruit them.

WANTED: R.U. 18–23 with the ability to sing/dance? R.U. streetwise, outgoing, ambitious, and dedicated? Heart Management Ltd. are a widely successful music industry management consortium currently forming a choreographed, singing/dancing, all-female pop act for a recording deal. Open audition. Danceworks, 16 Balderton Street. Friday 4th March. 11.00am–5.30pm. Please bring sheet music or backing cassette.

– Advertisement placed in The Stage^[28]

• They were signed to the record company called Virgin Records and released their debut single called Wannabe in 1996. It reached number one on the charts of 37 countries.

• Their debut album called Spice was released in 1996. It sold more than 23 million copies worldwide and was the best-selling album by a female group in history.
• Their follow-up album called spice world was released in 1997 and sold more than 14 million copies worldwide
• Both albums showed the groups dance pop style and tried to convey a message of female empowerment. 
• They did this by having vocal and songwriting contributions that were shared equally by the members.
• In 1997 the Spice Girls were in a film called Spice World. Unfortunately, it didn’t get very good reviews.

• In May 1998 Geri Halliwell left the group because of exhaustion and creative differences. 
• However, the Spice Girls carried on with the four-member group while they did the 1998 spice world tour. 
• This tour was attended by an estimated 2.1 million people, and it was the highest grossing concert tour by any female group.
• In 2000 the Spice Girls released the album called Forever.  
• This album was the only one that was done without Halliwell. It didn’t do as well in record sales. 
• At the end of that year the Spice Girls decided to go on a hiatus. They each wanted to try having solo careers. 
• They decided to come back together to do to concert tours. They were called The Return of the Spice Girls in 2007 2008 and Spice World in 2019. 
• Both of these tours won the Billboard Live Music Award for the highest grossing engagements. 
• This made the Spice Girls the top touring all female group from 2000 to 2020.

• There was even a musical made in 2012 based on the Spice Girls music. 
• It was called Viva Forever! It did not do very well and closed in 2013.

• Some other ways that the Spice Girls increased their success was Geri Halliwell when she wore the Union Jack dress. 
• She wore this dress at The Brit Awards. It had the flag of the United Kingdom in the front.

• Another way they try to increase their success is keeping their nicknames which were given to them by the British press.
• This dress has gone down in history with Princess Diana’s revenge dress. She wore the dress letting everyone know she knew her husband was cheating. Both of these dresses have gone down in history as the most memorable fashion moments of all time.
• Under the guidance of Simon Fuller, everyone will know him as a judge on American Idol, their appearances and endorsements along with their merchandise made them one of the most successful marketing groups ever. 
• The Spice Girls earned a global gross income which was estimated at $500-$800 million by May 1998. 
• Their presence in the media according to Music Week writer Paul Gorman helped them create an era of celebrity obsession in pop culture.
• The Spice Girls have sold 1 million records worldwide. 
• This made them the best-selling girl group of all time, one of the bestselling artists, and the most successful British pop group since the Beatles. 
• They have received 5 Brit awards, 3 American music awards, 4 Billboard music awards, 3 MTV Europe music awards and 1 MTV video music award.
• In 2000, they became the youngest recipients of the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. 
• According to Rolling Stone magazine journalist David Sinclair they were the most widely recognized group since the Beatles.

1996 to 1997: Spice and breakthrough

• On July 7, 1996, the Spice Girls released their debut single called Wannabe in the United Kingdom. 
• The video for the song was an instant hit and was aired up to 70 times per week. 
• Wannabe was on the UK singles chart at number 3 before spending the next 7 weeks at number 1. 
• It was number 1 in 37 countries including 4 consecutive weeks on the top of Billboard Hot 100 in the US. 
• It became not only the best-selling debut single by an all-female group, but it was also the best-selling single by A female group of all time.
• In October of that year the group released their next two singles called Say You’ll Be There which was number 1 for 2 weeks and 2 Become 1 Was Released in December. 
• This song became their first Christmas number 1 and it sold 462,000 copies in its first week. 
• This made it the fastest selling single of the year.

• In November 1996 the Spice Girls released their debut album in Europe it was called Spice. 
• It was so successful it was even compared to the number of sales and excitement to Beatlemania. The press even started calling them Spicemania.
• Simon Fuller started getting them sponsorships from big companies such as Pepsi, Walkers, Impulse, Cadbury and Polaroid.
• In March 1997 the Spice Girls released their first book called Girl Power. It sold out of its initial printing of 200,000 copies within a day and was translated into more than 20 languages. 
• In April 1997 One Hour of Girl Power was released it sold 500,000 copies in the UK between April and June. 
• It became the best-selling pop video ever.

1997 to 1998: Groundbreaking Success, Spice World 

• In October 1997 the Spice Girls released their first single from Spice World. It was called Spice up Your Life. It became the group’s fifth consecutive number one single.

• They also went on their first live major concert to 40000 people in Istanbul Turkey. 
• They even travelled to South Africa to meet Nelson Mandela who announced that they were his heroes because of their work with charities such as the Royal British Legion’s poppy appeal.

Forever and Hiatus

• While they were on tour in the United States the Spice Girls continued to write and record new material. 
• They released a new song called Goodbye before Christmas in 1988. 
• The song was to be attributed to Geri who left the group. It topped the charts of the UK singles, and it became their third consecutive Christmas number 1 hit equaling the same record that was set by the Beatles.

Viva Forever and London Olympics

• in 2010 at the Brit Awards the Spice Girls received a special award for Best Performance of the 30^th Year. 
• This award was for their 1997 Brit Awards performance of Wannabe and Who Do You Think You Are? 
• Also, in 2010 the Spice Girls collaborated again with Fuller, Judy Cramer and Jennifer Saunders to develop a Spice Girls stage musical called Viva Forever. 
• It was going to be like the musical Mama Mia by Abba where they used the Spice Girls original music to create a story. 
• In August 2012, the Spice Girls reunited again to perform a melody of Wannabe and Spice up Your Life At the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. 
• The performance became the most tweeted moment of the Olympics with over 16,000 tweets per minute on Twitter.
• While they were on tour in 2019 the group began work with the children’s book franchise Mr. Men create products such as books, cops, bags and coasters. 

• On June 13, 2019, it was announced that Paramount Animation was going to make an animated Spice Girls film with old and new songs.
• On September 27, 2022, the Spice Girls announced the tracks that would be on their Spiceworld25, the 25^th anniversary edition of their 1997 album called Spiceworld.

I found a funny Ellen video with Victoria Beckham to finish class with. I learned a lot today about the Spice Girls. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

November 17: Backstreet’s Back ALRIGHT ✊

The Backstreet Boys

The Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) is an American vocal group. It’s one of the first and most famous boy bands in the world, even though they have been grown men for most of their career!!

The group members are (from left to right):

• Howie Dorough
• AJ McLean
• Kevin Richardson
• Brian Littrell
• Nick Carter.

Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida.

A Timeline of Their Career

1993

• APRIL 19
  Brian Littrell is called away from his American History High School class to answer a phone call from cousin Kevin Richardson asking him to audition for an up-and-coming group. Brian auditions over the phone and finds himself on a flight to Orlando, Florida the next day.
• APRIL 20
  Backstreet Boys officially become a band
• MAY 8
  The Boys perform their first big show together at Sea World in Orlando, FL to a crowd of more than 3,000 Summer 1993 The Boys continue to perform in a variety of venues from shopping malls to charity events across Florida.

1995

• SEPT 5
  “We’ve Got It Goin’ On” released as a single

• DEC 13
  “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” released as a single

Note: This is also when Lou Pearlman formed the boy band NYSNC, who was their competitor!

1996

• APRIL 30
  “Get Down (You’re The One For Me)” released as a single

• MAY 6
  Their first album, “Backstreet Boys”, is released

• OCT 14
  “Quit Playing Games With My Heart” released as a single

1997

• FEB 24
  “Anywhere For You” released as a single

• JUNE 30
  “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back)” released as a single

• AUG 11
  “Backstreet’s Back” is released — Album #2
• OCT 21
  “As Long As You Love Me” released as a single in the US

• DEC 27
  BSB heads out on a 60-city, 20-country tour

1998

• JAN 13
  “All I Have To Give” released as a single

• OCT 7
  Declared “Backstreet Boys Day” in Orlando. The Boys receive the keys to the City from the mayor of Orlando in honor of the tornado relief concert the group headlined in March that raised over $250,000.
• In 1998, the BSB filed a lawsuit, claiming that they had only received $300,000 since 1993 while Pearlman had made $10 million. It turned out that Lou was breaking the law and stealing money from the BSB, who were teenagers at the time. Listen to what the BSB have to say about it:

• Pearlman was ousted as Backstreet Boys’ manager but the settlement agreement they reached gave him $30 million and he continued earning a portion of the band’s profits.
• In 1999, *NSYNC, Pearlman and BMG Entertainment reached a settlement which included giving *NSYNC members the right to control their name. As a result, Pearlman was also out as their manager.

1999

• JAN 1
  First Grammy nomination for Best New Artist of 1998
• FEB 1
  “Backstreet Boys” certified as a Diamond album in the U.S.(10,000,000 units sold)
• APRIL 12
  “I Want It That Way” released as a single

• MAY 18
  “Millennium” is released and sets the record for first week sales in the US, selling 1.1 million copies — Album #3
• JUNE 2
  First date of the “Into The Millennium” Tour
• SEPT 3
  “Larger Than Life” released as a single

• DEC 21
  “Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely” released as a single

• DEC 30
  BSB dominates the 1999 Billboard Music Awards, winning Artist of the Year, Album of the Year, Album Artist of the Year, and Album Artist Duo/Group of the Year

2000

• MAY 16
  “The One” released as a single

• OCT 3
  “Shape Of My Heart” released as a single

• NOV 21
  “Black And Blue” is released, selling over 1.6 million copies in the US in its first week and soon later certified platinum — Album #4

2001

• JAN 22
  “Black & Blue” tour kicks off in the US
• JAN 28
  Performed the American National Anthem at Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, FL

• FEB 6
  “The Call” released as a single. This is when one of the band members, AJ, tried cocaine for the first time, beginning his decades-long struggle with drug addiction.

• APRIL 1
  “More Than That” released as a single

• JULY 18

During an interview with People magazine, he said that he was able to hide it from the band for a few months, but on July 18, 2001, the other band members confronted him and urged him to get help. AJ said: “The most crucial part of that conversation was the final thing Kevin [Richardson] said to me: If I continued using, he said, ‘I will never trust you again. You’re dead to me.'”

• OCT 16
  “Drowning” released as a single

• OCT 23
  “The Hits: Chapter One” album released

2005

• MARCH 21
  First date of the “Up Close And Personal” Tour
• APRIL 1
  “Incomplete” released as a single

• JUNE 24
  “Never Gone” released and soon later certified platinum — Album #5
• JULY 22
  “Never Gone” worldwide tour kicks off in Florida
• OCT 4
  “Just Want You To Know” released as a single

2006

• JAN 26
  “I Still…” released as a single

• JAN 6
  Kevin Richardson announces he is leaving Backstreet Boys

Why Did Kevin Leave?

• Both Kevin and the rest of the group issued a statement on their official site, stating that he departed amicably and the door was always open for him to return.

“After 13 years of what can only be described as a dream come true, I have decided that it is time to leave the Backstreet Boys. It was a very tough decision for me but one that was necessary in order to move on with the next chapter of my life. Howard, Brian, Alex and Nick will always be my little brothers and have my utmost love and support. I would like to thank the Backstreet fans for all the beautiful memories we have shared together and look forward to including you in the next phase of my life. I wish my brothers continued success and look forward to their new album.” – Kevin

“Earlier this year, after much soul searching, Kevin Richardson came to us and told us that he had decided to leave the group and pursue other interests. He gave his blessing to continue the music without him. We have no intention of replacing Kevin, and the door will always be open for him to return to the Backstreet Boys. We wish him the all the best in his future endeavors. This weekend we are returning to the studio to begin the follow-up to Never Gone, and will see you later this year with a new album.” – Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell and AJ McLean

• Following Kevin’s departure, the group was suggested to change their name to Backstreet, but they decided against it.
• They also turned down an offer to star in a reality show to find a new member and musicians who had expressed interest in replacing Kevin, such as Sam Licata and former NSYNC members Lance Bass and Joey Fatone, stating that they were not planning to replace him.

2007

• AUG 27
  “Inconsolable” released as a single in the US

• OCT 24
  “Unbreakable” album released — Album #6

2008

• JAN 28
  “Helpless When She Smiles” released as a single in the US

• FEB 16
  “Unbreakable” tour starts in Tokyo, Japan

2009

• AUG 27
  “Straight Through My Heart” released as a single

• SEPT 30
  “This Is Us” album released — Album #7
• OCT 30
  “This Is Us” worldwide tour starts in Portugal
• NOV 29
  “Bigger” released as a single

• DEC 30
  BSB sells out their first cruise

2011

• APRIL 11
  The world’s biggest boy band supergroup, NKOTBSB (New Kids on the Block Back Street Boys), is officially formed

• MAY 24
  The NKOTBSB album is released; the album debuts at number seven in the US
• MAY 25
  North American leg of the NKOTBSB tour begins, selling out 50 cities
• DEC 25
  BSB Cruise #2 sets sail

2012

• APRIL 20
  First show of the NKOTBSB Europe, Asia, and Australia Tour
• APRIL 29
  Kevin Richardson returns to the band
• AUG 31
  BSB performs on Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series as a five-piece. This is the largest crowd GMA has ever had.
• NOV 6
  “It’s Christmas Time Again” released

2013

• APRIL 20
  The band holds a special 20th Anniversary Fan Celebration live from Hollywood.

• APRIL 22
  BSB receives a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
• MAY 5
  The ‘In A World Like This’ world tour begins in China.
• JULY 18
  The band premieres the ‘In A World Like This’ music video on Good Morning America

• JULY 30
  The band’s first album since Kevin rejoined, ‘In A World Like This,’ is released. The album debuted at number five on the US Billboard 200, making the Backstreet Boys the first act since Sade to have nine US top 10 albums, and the only boy band to do so.
• JULY 31
  BSB perform to over 20,000 people at The Grove in LA.
• AUG 2
  The US Leg of the IAWLT Tour kicks off in Chicago
• OCT 25
  BSB Cruise #3 sets sail from Miami
• NOV 19
  Music video for ‘Show Em What You’re Made Of,’ the second single off of IAWLT, is released

2014

• APRIL 15
  ‘In A World Like This: Deluxe Edition’ is released in North America
• JULY 18
  BSB are inducted into the Walk of Fame in Locarno, Switzerland.
• OCT 24
  BSB Cruise # 4 sets sail

2015

• JAN 29
  US premiere of ‘Show Em What You’re Made Of.’

• FEB 26
  International premiere of BSB The Movie in London.
• APRIL 10
  Brian & Kevin inducted into the Kentucky Music Hall of Fame.
• MAY 19
  The boys bring the ‘In A World Like This’ tour to Israel – performing three shows to sold out crowds. This was the first time the band had ever performed in Israel.
• JUNE 29
  The ‘In A World Like This’ World Tour comes to an end in Mexico.
• NOV 23
  Nick finishes 2nd on Dancing With The Stars

2016

• MAY 10
  Cruise number 5, the first European cruise, sets sail with a sold out ship.

• MAY 13
  BSB breaks the Guinness World Record for the most nationalities in a hot tub.
• JUNE 5
  The boys perform on Miss USA.
• JULY 7
  Meghan Trainor performs ‘I Want It That Way’ with BSB on Greatest Hits.

• SEPT 23
  The boys announce their 2017 Las Vegas residency
• DEC 31
  The boys ring in 2017 in Las Vegas

2017

• MARCH 1
  Opening night of BSB’s Las Vegas residency.
• JULY 19
  BSB perform to over 50,000 people at FEQ in Quebec City.

• DEC 29
  BSB wrap up 2017 with two sold out performances in Cancun, MX

2018

• MAY 17
  BSB releases “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” their first single in five years

• MAY 3
  BSB embark on their 6th sold out cruise
• JUNE 28
  The boys perform on Jimmy Fallon
• JULY 14
  BSB take over Central Park and draw a record breaking crowd for Good Morning America
• JULY 24
  James Corden helps BSB “take a break” and fills in for Brian onstage in Vegas.

• AUG 20
  BSB perform on the MTV Video Music Awards live in NYC.
• NOV 9
  BSB release their new single “Chances”

• NOV 9
  BSB announce their 2019 DNA World Tour

2019

• JAN 04
  ‘No Place,’ from their upcoming album DNA is released

• JAN 25
  DNA Album released worldwide

2020

• MARCH 29
  BSB joins dozens of artists for FOX presents The iHeartRadio Living Room Concert to pay tribute to the people on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic, who are putting their lives at risk every day to fight the spread of COVID-19.

• DECEMBER 11
  After decades of being in the business, BSB and Britney join forces on the track ‘Matches.’

2021

• APRIL 6
  BSB appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show to announce new dates on the DNA World Tour and their special Las Vegas Shows.
• APRIL 8
  After more than 2 years, BSB performed to four sold out crowds in Las Vegas.
• JUNE 4
  After being postponed for 2 years, the North American leg of the DNA World Tour kicks off in Chula Vista, CA.

To this day, the BSB have a lasting legacy. Let’s watch some of these funny videos!

Sources

History

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/brand-or-agency/2016/5/backstreets-back-as-the-boys-break-record-for-most-nationalities-in-a-jacuzzi-428971#:~:text=During%20their%20annual%20cruise%20across,including%20France%2C%20Switzerland%20and%20Italy.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060625212554/http://www.backstreetboys.com/news.html?n=1387

https://abcnews.go.com/US/members-nsync-town-learning-truth-lou-pearlman-heart/story?id=67630216#:~:text=In%201998%2C%20Backstreet%20Boys%20filed,the%20band%20had%20been%20profitable.

https://people.com/music/aj-mclean-cocaine-backstreet-boys-music-video-shoot/

November 10: The Muppets

source

Overview

• The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an absurdist, burlesque, and self-referential style of variety-sketch comedy.
• They are the focus of a media franchise that encompasses television, film, music, and other media associated with the characters.
• There is a popular myth that “muppet” is a combination of “marionnette” and “puppet”, but this has been refuted!
• The Muppets were created by Jim Henson in 1955. They were originally owned by The Jim Henson Company for nearly five decades. Then, the franchise was purchased by The Walt Disney Company in 2004. This means that you can watch the Muppets on Disney+

Of the cast of characters created for this series, only Kermit would remain as a major figure with Jim Henson for later productions.

Jim Henson

• Jim Henson was born in September 24, 1936 and died May 16, 1990.
• He is the creator of the Muppets, founder of The Jim Henson Company, and he was the performer behind many of his company’s most famous characters, including Kermit the Frog, Ernie, and Rowlf the Dog.
• Although this franchise has been extremely popular for decades, it was a struggle to get the show established. Jim remained ambitious and determined in the face of many setbacks!
• As a child, he was fascinated by his family’s television, which was a relatively new intention. It had only been available for purchase for about a decade at that point. He loved watching Disney films and movies with comic legends like Bob Hope and George Burns, and enjoyed listening to such radio acts as Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy.
• He would grow up to pay tribute to—and work with—many of these same legends!
• He graduated from Northwestern Senior High School in Maryland on June 14, 1954.
• Jim began his television puppetry career with his friend, and first puppeteering partner, Russell Wall that same summer.
• The two created the puppet “Pierre the French Rat” and performed on The Junior Morning Show on local station WTOP. Although the show lasted only three weeks before being cancelled, Jim quickly landed a puppeteering job on the show Afternoon at NBC affiliate WRC-TV.
• In 1955, while Jim was a student at the University of Maryland, WRC-TV offered Henson his own show, resulting in the creation of Sam and Friends. He had a hard time balancing his studies and working on the show. Sometimes he had to take time off of one for the other.
• He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in home economics, after which he and Jane Nebel produced coffee advertisements and developed experimental films.
• Jane was Jim’s co-puppeteer, and eventually the two fell in love and got married. They got married on May 28, 1959.
• Jim Henson was the sole author and creator of the early characters on Sam and Friends, but the copyright on the early Muppet characters went to Jane Henson as well as Jim Henson.

• Jim loved puppetry, and he wanted to challenge the idea that puppets were only entertainment for children. His dream was for puppetry to be recognized as an art form by having his Muppets be “entertainment for everybody.”
• He began experimenting with techniques that changed how puppetry was used on television, including using the frame defined by the camera shot to allow the puppet performer to work from off-camera.
• At the time, many puppets were made of carved wood. Meanwhile, Jim believed that television puppets needed to have “life and sensitivity” and began making characters from flexible, fabric-covered foam rubber, allowing them to express a wider array of emotions.
• A marionette’s arms are manipulated by strings, but Henson used rods to move his Muppets’ arms, allowing greater control of expression. Additionally, he wanted the Muppet characters to “speak” more creatively than was possible for previous puppets, which had random mouth movements, so he used precise mouth movements to match the dialogue.
• The five-minute shows aired live twice a day after the news, and often involved the puppets lip-syncing to a comedy or novelty record.

Sesame Street

• Muppets are the stars of Sesame Street, but the founder is a New York public television producer, named Joan Ganz Cooney.

• In the late 1960s, she saw that children were obsessed with television and wanted to create programming that would be fun, educational, and positive for them to watch.
• Most importantly, Joan wanted to use television to help children who were less privileged during that time there was a clear problematic gap in the educational system between social classes. Kids who lived in inner cities and especially children of colour ended up getting further behind in their education than those who were from wealthier families.
• In 1968, she founded the innovative Children’s Television Workshop (C.T.W.) with foundation and government funding. She was one of the first female executives in American television.
• Despite discouragement from both her immediate boss and the president of Channel 13, Cooney found backing from the Carnegie and Ford Foundations, and the U.S. Commissioner of Education. She had a year and $8 million to silence the skeptics.
• C.T.W. filled a void on the airwaves and measurably improved American children’s early development.
• Before creating the show, she consulted dozens of educators in order to develop her idea for a daily, hour-long show that couched language and math education in entertainment. It also taught lessons about tolerance, life and death, and world events.
• She also had the foresight to establish a collaborative process with educators and child development researchers to plan the show.
• This company quickly became famous for its flagship program, Sesame Street.
• She hired Jim Henderson as part of the creative team. They had previously worked together on the TV special Hey Cinderella. Joan admired him and knew that him and his fun muppets would be able to keep the children’s attention for an hour. She wanted someone with the television experience that could easily create something that was unique and quickly memorable.
• At first, he was hesitant because he didn’t want puppets to only be seen as educational for kids. But, he believed in the mission to educate children, so he agreed.
• Jim’s puppets were a crucial part of the show’s popularity and it brought him national attention

29:40 to 36:09

The Muppet Show

• The video briefly mentions Jim Henderson’s death in 1991. Before his death, he was able to realize his dream of making a popular puppet show for adults: The Muppet Show.
• Before the Muppet Show was created, Jim had a muppet segment on SNL. This muppet segment was in SNL’s first episode on October 11, 1975.
• Jim really wanted to present the muppets in an adult light, which led him to the recurring skit called Land of Gorch.
• Eleven Land of Gorch sketches were aired between October 1975 and January 1976 on NBC, with four additional appearances in March, April, May, and September 1976.
• The skit featured a royal family in a fantasy-like land far far away. It was heavily grotesque by being filled with alcohol and sexual innuendos.
• Out of all of Jim’s creations throughout his career, there is none that is more hated than the Land of Gorch. Over the years, critics agreed that the segments were among the weakest of the first season of SNL, and the raunchy tone along with the ugly characters are said to be the complete opposites of Kermit and what the muppets are known for.
• The cast and crew of SNL really hated the muppets because it took away from their screen time. However, because of labour laws, SNL employees had to be the ones that wrote the scripts.
• The SNL writers were not comfortable writing for the characters, and they frequently disparaged Henson’s creations; Michael O’Donoghue quipped, “I won’t write for felt.”
• Jim liked Lorne Michaels’ work and wanted to be a part of SNL, but he ultimately concluded that “what we were trying to do and what his writers could write for it never gelled”.
• After SNL, Jim began developing a Broadway show and a weekly television series both featuring the muppets, but the American networks rejected the series in 1976, believing that muppets would appeal only to a child audience.
• Then, Jim pitched the show to British impresario Lew Grade to finance the show. The show would be shot in the United Kingdom and syndicated worldwide. That same year, he scrapped plans for his Broadway show and moved his creative team to England, where The Muppet Show began taping.
• The show featured Kermit as host and a variety of other characters, notably Miss Piggy, Gonzo the Great, and Fozzie Bear, along with other characters such as Animal. Henson’s teammates sometimes compared his role to that of Kermit: a shy, gentle boss with “a whim of steel” who ran things like “an explosion in a mattress factory.”

• Jim recognized Kermit as an alter ego, though he thought that Kermit was bolder than he; he once said of the character: “He can say things I hold back.”

Muppet Movies

• The muppets appeared in their first theatrical feature film The Muppet Movie in 1979. It was both a critical and financial success. It made $65.2 million domestically and was the 61st highest-grossing film at the time.

• Jim’s idol Edgar Bergen died at age 75 during production of the film, and Jim dedicated it to his memory.
• As Kermit, Jim sang “The Rainbow Connection”, and it hit number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.
• Jim also directed The Great Muppet Caper (1981), and he decided to end the Muppet Show to concentrate on making films, though the muppet characters continued to appear in TV movies and specials.
• During development on The Empire Strikes Back (1980), George Lucas asked him to aid make-up artist Stuart Freeborn in the creation and articulation of Yoda. George had also wanted Jim to puppeteer the character, but Jim instead suggested Frank Oz for the role.
• In 1982, he founded the Jim Henson Foundation to promote and develop the art of puppetry in the United States.
• Around that time, he began creating darker and more realistic fantasy films that did not feature the Muppets and displayed “a growing, brooding interest in mortality.”
• He co-directed The Dark Crystal (1982) with Oz, “trying to go toward a sense of realism—toward a reality of creatures that are actually alive”.
• The Dark Crystal won several industry awards including the Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film and the Grand Prize Winner at the Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival.
• The film was less financially successful in theaters, but later claimed an enormous following and revenue when it was introduced on VHS for home entertainment.
• Also in 1982, Jim co-founded Henson International Television with Peter Orton and Sophie Turner Laing as his partners. The company was a distribution company for children’s, teens’ and family television.
• Oz directed The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984), which grossed $25.5 million domestically and ranked as one of the top 40 films of 1984.
• Did you know that Jim directed the fantasy movie Labyrinth by himself in 1986?! The New York Times called it “a fabulous film”, but it was a commercial disappointment.
• This demoralized Jim. His son Brian Henson described it as “the closest I’ve seen him to turning in on himself and getting quite depressed.” The film later became an extremely popular cult classic!
• In the late 80s and early 90s, Jim continued creating children’s television, such as Fraggle Rock and the animated Muppet Babies.
• He also continued to address darker, more mature themes with the folklore and mythology-oriented show The StoryTeller (1988), which won an Emmy for Outstanding Children’s Program.
• The next year, he returned to television with The Jim Henson Hour, which mixed lighthearted Muppet fare with more risqué material.
• It was critically well-received and won him another Emmy for Outstanding Directing in a Variety or Music Program, but it was canceled after 12 episodes due to poor ratings. Henson blamed its failure on NBC’s constant rescheduling.
• In late 1989, Henson entered into negotiations to sell his company to The Walt Disney Company for almost $150 million, hoping that he would “be able to spend a lot more of my time on the creative side of things” with Disney handling business matters.
• By 1990, he had completed production on the television special The Muppets at Walt Disney World and the Disney-MGM Studios attraction Muppet*Vision 3D and he was developing film ideas and a television series entitled Muppet High.
• His final appearance was with Kermit on The Arsenio Hall Show on May 4, 1990.

33:40 – 45:50

Recent Muppet Videos

I love that they were on the NPR Tiny Desk series! This is a popular series of live concerts that showcase either very famous or very underground/unknown artists.

This is the trailer for the 2011 Muppets Movie!

Here are just some fun videos. Which character is your favourite?

Here are the muppets as guests on talk shows!

Sources

https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/What_is_a_Muppet%3F

https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Jim_Henson

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Henson

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/theymadeamerica/whomade/cooney_hi.html

https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a28934605/muppets-history-rights/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Muppet-Show

https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/meet-muppets

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_Street

https://americanhistory.si.edu/blog/meet-muppets

November 8: Camouflage

This is a picture of a snake in Algonquin Park from Kerr and Tina. It is an example of camouflage.

The Definition of Camouflage

• It is when you use a combination of serial colour or illumination to conceal objects.
• This means animals or objects are harder to see. It may also mean that we disguise them as being something else.
• An example might be a leopard’s spotted coat or the uniform of a soldier.
• By using camouflage the objects are harder to see because they resemble the surrounding area or background.
• Another way of using camouflage might be using motion to dazzle or confuse someone with a conspicuous pattern. This might make the object visible or harder to locate.
• Some animals such as chameleons and octopuses are even capable of actively changing their skin pattern and colours in order to stay hidden from predators.
• There are even some plants that use camouflage to avoid being eaten by herbivores (animals that eat plants).

• Military camouflage started in the 19^th century because of the increasing accuracy of firearms and distance they shot.
• This happened very quickly especially during the first world war.
• Artists such as Andre Mare designed camouflage schemes and observation posts that looked like trees.
• On water ships and troop carriers were painted in what is called a dazzle pattern.
• They were very visible but were designed to confuse the enemy submarine.
• The enemies were not easily able to tell their targets speed, range and where it was heading.
• During the second world war camouflage was also used for aircraft and ground vehicles.
• However, the use of radar that started in the middle of the 20^th century has made camouflage for military aircraft vehicles obsolete.

The History of Camouflage

• In ancient Greece Aristotle commented on the colour changing abilities for camouflaging and signaling. This meant animals like the Octopus could hide but also communicate with other species.
• Camouflage has been a topic of interest in research in zoology for over a century.
• Even Charles Darwin wrote about camouflage in his book Origin of Species.
• He believed that animals and insects use coloration in order to keep them safe from enemies.

• The English zoologist Edward Bagnall Poulton studied coloration in camouflage even further. He believed that there were different types of camouflage coloration.
• Two of the main types are Special Protective Resemblance. This is where an animal looks like another object.

• The other type is called General Aggressive Resemblance. This means that a predator blends in with the background which enables the predator to approach the parade without being seen.

• There is also another type called Disruptive Camouflage. This happens when streaks of boldly contrasting colour are used to make the objects less visible by breaking up their outlines.

• Most forms of camouflage are ineffective when the animal or objects move because moving makes them easily seen by a predator, pray for enemy.
• However, some insects such as hoverflies and dragonflies use something called motion camouflage.
• This means that the hoverflies use it to approach possible mates and dragonflies use this form of camouflage to approach their rivals when their defending their territories.
• Motion camouflage happens when the insect or object is moving to stay on a straight line between the target and the fixed point in the land.
• The insect appears not to move but only stay in the target’s field of vision.
• This type of camouflage can also be used for military purposes. Missiles are less likely to be seen by the enemy.

Thank You Kerr and Tina for your idea. I thought we could and class by watching a funny video of Ellen trying to find a celebrity hidden in her audience.

November 3: Zoos vs. Sanctuaries

Image source

Petting Zoos and Sanctuaries…What’s the Difference?

Source

• If you’ve ever visited a petting zoo and an animal sanctuary, you might be wondering: what’s the difference?
• On the surface, they may seem to serve similar purposes – to provide animals with food, shelter and care.
• But a closer look at the two reveals very different organizations with very different motivations, methods and objectives.
• In petting zoos, the animals are there for us. In a sanctuary, we are there for the animals.
• The differences become clearer when we look at where these places get their animals from, how they are cared for, and how they are allowed to live their lives.

Interaction with the animals

• Petting zoos are entertainment and encourage people of all ages and comfort levels to interact with, and feed, their animals.
• Zoo owners typically are not concerned about the stress that this puts on an individual animal, not to mention the health concerns associated with overfeeding and an unbalanced diet.

• At a sanctuary, animals are encouraged to live their life on their own terms with help from human caregivers when necessary.
• At a sanctuary, food is strictly monitored for the health and well being of the animal.
• At a sanctuary, interaction with the public is strictly at the discretion of the animal. There are also some sanctuaries where you can see the animals from a bridge above them, and you do not actually touch them.

Safety

• Another difference between petting zoos and sanctuaries is the level of care taken to ensure animals are free from diseases that can transfer to other animals and to humans.
• When animals are infected with a disease, they should receive the proper treatment and be housed away from everyone else, like quarantine!
• In general, health protocols are far more developed and adhered to in a sanctuary setting than in a petting zoo. In petting zoos, sick animal can very easily be replaced with a “similar” animal and all is good. In a sanctuary, the safety, health and well-being of all animal residents, as well as volunteers, staff and visitors, is the top priority.

• Supporting local sanctuaries is a great way to truly help animals live their best life!

Where Do These Animals Come From?

• For context, zoos are “for profit” . Typically, sanctuaries are not.
• So, zoos want to have animals on display that will bring in customers.
• In order to do this, zoos will buy and sell animals, as well as breed animals so they have a steady supply of babies on hand, which are always crowd-pleasers.
• Zoo owners usually do not consider the rights of individual animals. Older, less “appealing” animals could be put in over-crowded spaces (out of the public’s view), abandoned, or worse.

• On the other hand, sanctuaries exist to provide animals with a safe home, both physically and emotionally, for the rest of their natural life.
• Before an animal is brought to a sanctuary, many things must be considered including the ability to care for the animal both financially and in terms of space, food, shelter and healthcare without any compromise to the animals already living there.

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Sanctuaries: A Home for Rescued Illegally-Bred Animals

• Exotic animals, such as big cats, have been imported to North America to be used in marketing gimmicks and promotions.
• One is example is the gas company Exxon’s “Put a Tiger in Your Tank” promotion, where thousands of tigers were put on display at gas stations across the United States. People loved it! But the animals weren’t treated well.
• In the late 90s and early 2000s, the hype and demand for interactions with wild animals grew, and so did the black market for exotic animals for businesses and individuals who wanted a fancy animal collection.
• During this time, over 30,000 exotic animals were in private collections in terrible living conditions. The U.S. passed the Endangered Species Act, which shut down many of these private zoos.
• Many illegal zoos and illegal exotic pet markets still exist today, but the animals that are rescued are able to live out the rest of their lives in peace and comfort at animal sanctuaries.
• If you want to learn more about this topic, click here. (This video does not show animal abuse or any offensive footage, but the topic is upsetting).

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• This video shows the amazing work that people are doing to help animals transition from a life in captivity to a life on the sanctuary.
• Sometimes animals that are from the wild can be released back into the wild, but animals that were born in captivity live out their lives in sanctuaries until they die of old age.

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• Poaching is also causing a big problem! If adult animals are hunted, their babies are left orphaned. Here is a video about a rhino orphanage in South Africa!

Animal sanctuaries bring joy to many people!

November 1: Michael J. Fox

• Michael J Fox became famous on Family Ties and starred in the Back to the Future films.
• He wanted to continue acting even after being diagnosed with Parkinson’s in the 90s and was on shows like Spin City and The Good Wife.

Who is Michael J Fox?

• He became very well-known when he started to play the role of Alex P. Keaton on the popular sitcom called Family Ties.
• After that was in the teen adventure movie called Back to the Future and all its sequels.
• He also starred in the movie called Teen Wolf. He returned to television in the 90s when he was on spin City.
• In 1999 he announced that he was battling Parkinson’s disease. He left Spin City in 2002 launch his foundation called Michael J Fox foundation for Parkinson’s Research and to focus on his family.
• He later started guest starring on shows like Scrubs, Boston Legal and The Good Wife.

Early Life

• His Life that real name was Michael Andrew Fox and he was born on June 9, 1961 in Edmonton, Alberta.
• He started to use the middle initial “J” professionally because he wanted to distinguish himself from another actor named Michael Fox. It was also meant to be a tribute to American actor Michael J. Pollard.
• He is the fourth of five children born to parents Bill and Phyllis.
• He struggled in school and only grew to a height of 5’4” and therefore couldn’t compete in his favourite sport ice hockey.
• His outlet ended up being in a drama class and in 1976 when he was 15 years old, he made his professional acting debut on the TV series called Leo and Me. He played a 10-year-old boy.

• He was even in a McDonald’s commercial.

Alex P Keaton on Family Ties

• After Michael starred in the CBS movie Letters from Frank, which was filmed in Canada, he dropped out of high school and drove to Los Angeles with his father.
• Once he got there, he got a role on the series Palmerstown, USA and then he was cast as Alex P Keaton on Family Ties.
• The show ran from 1982 to 1989. He drew audiences in with his confident charm and his impeccable comedic timing for the next seven years.
• Alex Keaton was a young conservative. He was often in disagreements with his parents because they were progressive.
• He also had to contend with his sisters Mallory and Jennifer. He became a nurturing figure to is little brother Andy as well.
• Family Ties is and always will be considered one of TVs most enduring sitcoms.
• Michael one of Golden Globe and three consecutive Emmy awards for his role as Alex.

Back to the Future

• Michael had a lot of success on the big screen as well. The most famous role he played was Marty McFly in Back to the Future in 1985.
• He was in this movie with Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Christopher Lloyd.
• They travelled back to the 1950s and Michael’s character threatens his own existence when he gets in the way of his teenage parents becoming a couple by mistake.
• Back to the Future was a pop-culture movie that earned more than $380 million worldwide and received very good ratings from critics and audiences.
• Huey Lewis and the News also had a number one hit because of the movie.

• He also starred in the movie Teen Wolf in 1985. It didn’t do as well as Back to the Future did.
• He was also in the movie called Light of Day working with Joan Jett and the comedy called The Secret of My Success.
• Both movies were filmed in 1987.
• The Secret of My Success earned $110 million worldwide.

• In 1988, Michael played a cocaine addicted fact checker in the movie called Bright Lights Big City.

• In 1989 he acted alongside Sean Penn in the movie called Casualties of War.
• In 1993, he lent his voice to Chance, a bulldog in Disney’s family film called Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.

Spin City

• In 1996 Spin City came on the air and it helped put Michael back where he belonged making audiences laugh on a weekly basis. This allowed him to take more time with his family.

• In 1999, Michael lent his voice in the movie Stuart Little.

• He was honoured with a star on Hollywood walk of fame in December 2002.

Foundation for Parkinson’s Research

• In the later part of 1999, Michael made an announcement that he had been battling Parkinson’s disease since 1991.
• He even had surgery on his brain to try to stop tremors caused by the condition.
• Even though Spin City was so successful and had a lot of Emmy and Golden Globe awards Michael decided to announce early in 2000 that he would be leaving the show. It was hard for him because not only did he act in the show, but he was also the executive producer.
• He wanted to spend time with his family and concentrate on raising money and awareness for Parkinson’s disease.
• He left Spin City after the fourth season and 100th episode.
• In May 2000, he launched the Michael J Fox foundation for Parkinson’s research.
• It was a nonprofit organization that was dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s disease through a lot of funded research and to ensuring the development of improved therapies for those living with Parkinson’s today.
• The foundation is credited as the world’s largest nonprofit funder of drug development for Parkinson’s disease today.
• Michael won an Emmy and Golden Globe for his final season on spin city. He also Got the respect and support of the entire Hollywood community.

Starting New Series

• in 2004, Michael was a guest star on the TV comedy Scrubs. His character was Dr. Kevin Casey who was a surgeon with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
• In 2006, he appeared in the TV drama Boston Legal for a few appearances. He received an Emmy nomination for Best Guest Appearance.
• In 2009, he appeared on the dark drama called Rescue Me.
• In the same year his TV special called Michael J Fox: Adventures of an Incredible Incurable Optimist was on TV.
• It was based on his best-selling book of the same name.
• He went on to have guest appearances on TV series such as Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Good Wife.
• After that he had a starring role in the Michael J Fox show. It premiered in 2013 and got some positive reviews. But it was cancelled after one season.
• He received Emmy nominations in 2013 and 2015 for his work on the good wife. He was on the show for the entire final season.

Personal Life and Children

• Michael married actress Tracy Pollan in 1988. She was the actress that played Alex Keaton’s girlfriend on Family Ties.
• They have four children their son Sam, twin girls Aquinnah and Schuyler and daughter Esme Annabelle.