They range from: Medieval Era, Renaissance Era, 18th Century and Colonial, Regency, Victorian Era, Edwardian Era, Turn of the Century, Titanic and Teens Era, 1910s-1950s.

If you are interested, please see the main shop site: The Boutique Collection for examples of my sewing work. I can also fix garments that need hemming, patching...etc. I try my best to use notions that were used in the time period, but I can not make the garments exactly historically accurate because of the way they were formed. I will make my garments to fit the natural body form rather than a tight corset.

Hope you stop by!

---

Now, I have gone on about the Credit Crisis a lot. There was the humourous take on the subject and there was my more usual opinonated rant on the subject. However, if you believe that I am just a jealous McWorker standing in the way of progress, then take a little look here at where your taxes will be going.

At these moments all you can do is laugh. And so without further ado, here is CWP's take on the Credit Crisis

Watch 'CWP: The Milk Crisis' by clicking here!

As I flick through the news (I just happen to be off sick today, when I phoned work the world was fine, when I turned the news on two hours later it was down the toilet) all I see is a sea of red. Everything is down pretty much. People are pulling out of nearly every share, every soft, every currency.

This is not the normal pull out.

Previously, when America was in control and the world awaited the bail out decision, banking shares fell, oil fell, but not everything. This is carnage, this is an all out bloodbath. No longer can anyone be stupid enough to say the system should be allowed to fail. Right now that would be equal to standing up in 1914 and saying trench warfare is a wonderful idea.

The Great Depression. Ah, that old chestnut, the crafty old thing. It is held up and looked at in light of the current situation more often then anything else, and for good reason. However, up until now we haven't seen the real comparison.

What caused the Great Depression to happen after the Wall Street Crash was rampant protectionism. There are slight differences in that in 1930 the Bank of the United States was simply allowed to fall, which is why the bail out now is so important. But after that, it all went wrong big time, the walls went up.

Then, people cut back spending, because even though the market rallied and the government spent, they were, bluntly, skint. When people don't buy, companies go bust, consumer confidence and ability to spend are everything. That is why the unnecessary panic and money moving (seriously, why have you got more than £50k in one account, just sitting there?) are so dangerous and the media hyping so painful to witness.

Then the protectionists got there way and it all went poo. By the way, that was the Republicans....

Now, we haven't got morons like Smoot, Hawley and Hoover around at the moment (he says whilst looking over his shoulder), but we do have the argument between Keynesism and monetarism. This is the same argument for the causes of the Depression and is as valid now as it was then.

This is where the great, the one and only Milton Friedman steps to the fore, the great libertarian was of the view that simply letting the the banks fall was on a par with playing the violin whilst Rome burnt. Yes, there is the moral hazard argument, but it creates panic, bank runs and total meltdown (I hope Ian at Question That is reading this) and, most importantly, a crises in the money supply.

Now, in America this has been avoided and this is why the bail out is so important, in Europe states have stepped in to save most institutions. The machine requires oil, where that oil comes from in a time of chaos is not really open for debate, the central bank is the only shop open.

So, why are we facing a meltdown? Europe. Iceland, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, they have all decided to raise the barriers. The response to secure would be understandable if it were necessary. It is not.

The only security needed is consumer confidence, that can be done by explaining the situation, explaining that anything up to, now, £50,000 is safe and then introducing a simple measure to secure the temporary transaction of large sums of money, such as house purchases. If you are dumb enough to keep more than £50,000 in one account after that then that is your problem.

The politicians are trying to blame the banks and the people are falling for it, the banks can't do anything because there is no liquidity and so the people panic. The politicians then don' do the above to calm them, they make stupid comments like Merkel yesterday, confusion reigns.

The politicians of course don't want everyone to realise that hey have been complicit in running the economies of the world on debt. Howver, it is this debt that has been allowed to happen that is causing the deflationary effect of fewer loans, less credit.

America, unlike 1930, has done its part in buying up the bad debt at great cost. The EU has fractured and go it alone, causing the chaos we now see. They haven't put up tariffs in a traditional sense, but in effect they have created a money security crises. Money is now 'safe' in some countries, 'not' in others. It is of course safe in every country, but a unified response was required in Europe, a firm hand and political intelligence. We have ended up with none of this and the Anglo-Saxon economies, so attacked by Germany and France, are the ones pulling their hair out.

The box is now open. The markets are falling, fear is king. Interest rate slashing didnt work for Japan in 1990 and it won't work now. The market needs to release funds, the central banks need to drop interest rates by a sensible measure (the BoE should be loking at .5%) and politicians need to grow some balls and stand firm.

Otherwise we're all fucked.

Economia:

Correção do Mercado de Hipotecas Imobiliárias

Hoje após o pôr-do-sol, os Senadores dos EUA retornam a Washington para votar. Com isto esperam dar uma sinalização para a votação dos Deputados, que anormalmente virá depois.

‘Assets’ valores de ontem e % comparado com terça-feira

Ouro 53,900R$/g -3,75% liderou as aplicações em set08 com 22,50% de rentabilidade bruta e no ano com 11,36%

Dólar 1,902R$ -3% segundo nas aplicações em set08 com 16,47% de rentabilidade bruta e no ano 7,15%

Bovespa 49.541 pontos +7,63%

Dow Jones 10.850,66 pontos +4,68%

Alta nas bolsas internacionais

Se houveram vendedores, houveram mais compradores, caçadores de pechinchas e o Mercado de ‘Assets’ não está temeroso, ao contrário, entende que pior não fica, e que só resta aos EUA promover o resgate dos papéis, que se for feito sem a parte podre, garante a Economia, mas pune os agentes financeiros e responsáveis pela parte furada. Ainda não sei se vai ser assim, ou se os Senadores (Lobby Imobiliário/Financeiro) vão forçar a aprovação com o País engolindo e diluindo o prejuízo.

Os conceitos do desespero de 1930 e dos anos 70 (“sai de baixo”) foram incorporados pelo Mercado como lições a serem seguidas, do tipo, sem desespero de venda, mas comprando na baixa.

Falta circulante, mais por cautela dos que podem emprestar.

Até as commodities tiveram alta ontem.

Nacional:

Lula x Chavez x Morales x Correa

Ontem reunidos em Manaus.

Parece que o Governo Brasileiro é o moderador dos três Andinos com pretensões ditatoriais.

Eu diria de um lado o Brasil, com os EUA e a UE, de outro a Rússia com a declaração do Embaixador Russo, ontem na Bolívia de que o Kremlin está interessado na América Latina e quer mostrar aos EUA que a região não é um “quintal” americano.

Correa ontem acusou na bucha que a Odebrecht está sendo expulsa do Equador e que o Equador não vai aceitar “pressões, violações e propinas”. Realmente, tudo indica que a Odebrecht não fez o “serviço” bem feito, ou seja, faltou alguém na lista!

Internet

Segurança

DE 2002 para set2008 subiram de 400 para 17.000 as decisões Judiciais envolvendo problemas virtuais. Localizado o IP (Internet Protocol) parte-se para uma ação cível com pedido de indenização por dano moral ou ação criminal por calúnia, injúria ou difamação.

É claro que é necessário o dinheiro para pagar o advogado!

A Justiça solicita ao provedor os dados do assinante que usou o IP.

Mais uma fraude gigante

R$200 milhões foram roubados através de comercialização de títulos públicos a preços fora de mercado com o dinheiro de fundos de pensão de funcionários públicos de municípios de diversos estados. O comprador adquire o título, em nome do fundo, mas paga a mais ao vendedor, embolsando a diferença na venda. Corretoras é que manipulam a compra e venda. A venda ocorria com prejuízos que alcançam, por exemplo, 38%, diferença que é embolsada pelos envolvidos (funcionários das prefeituras, estados e corretoras).

Outra fraude

TCU suspende 13 obras do PAC superfaturadas, entre elas a ampliação do Aeroporto de Guarulhos.

São Paulo:

Tempo

quinta chuvas, sexta sol e chuvas, sábado chuvas

Cimarron gets its name from the Cimarron Territory. The Cimarron Territory was an unrecognized name for the Oklahoma Panhandle or No Man's Land, an unsettled area of the West and Midwest, especially lands once inhabited by Native American tribes such as the Cherokee and Sioux. In 1886 the government declared such lands open to settlement. Oklahoma at the time of the novel's opening is one such "Cimarron Territory" though, in actuality, the historical setting of the novel is somewhere in the Cherokee Outlet, also known as the Cherokee Strip and probably the city of Woodward, Oklahoma.

The novel is set in the Oklahoma of the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It follows the lives of Yancy and Sabra Cravat, beginning with Yancey's tale of his participation in the Oklahoma Land Race 1893 land rush. They emigrate from Wichita, Kansas to the fictional town of Osage, Oklahoma with their son, Cim, and (unknowingly) a black boy named Isaiah. The Cravats here print their newspaper, the Oklahoma Wigwam and build their fortune amongst Indian disputes, outlaws, and the discovery of oil in Oklahoma. Upon its publication, Cimarron was a sensation in America and came to epitomize an era in American history. This novel became Ferber's third successful novel and paved the way for many more historical epics penned by the author.

From Wikipedia Article

This or this?

في عام 1933 ميلاديه  زار القاهره الامير حسن الأطرش وحين رأى ابنة عمه الاميره " آمال / اسمهان  " طلبها للزواج لكن والدتها رفضت متعللة بشتى الاعذار ، والحقيقة كما ذكرت اسمهان بنفسها انها كانت مصدر هام في مساعدة واعالة العائلة حيث قالت " سبب رفض والدتي عدم رغبتها بفقدان الدجاجه التي باتت تبيض لها ذهبا ، فان تزوجت من اين تنفق ؟ وكيف تعيش ؟ بالطبع فريد موجود لكنه شاب رجل يأخذ من دخله ما يشاء ومن ثم يجود بالباقي ، اما انا فبالعكس يؤخذ مني ومن ثم يعطى لي القليل مما اكسبه ومن هنا اتى الرفض " .

عاد ابن عمها الى سوريا وحرض العشيرة الدرزية ضد ارملة عمه، أخبرهم  أن ابنتهم تغني في الملاهي ، عزف على اوتار الشرف وسمعة الاسره وما شابه من امور تكفي لتعبئتهم ضدها ، وفي سعي من  ارملة عمه لتجنب اي تصادم مع عشيرة الاطرش رضخت لكن بشرط ان يؤمن لها عيشها عوضا عن اسمهان ، عندها سجل لها منزلا بالسجل العقاري بدمشق اضافة الى مبلغ خمسمائة جنيها ذهبيا و كان هذ ا يعد ثروة في ذلك الوقت .

تم الزواج و انتقلت معه الى جبل الدروز في سوريا و برفقتهم اخيها فؤاد ، وهناك تم العتاب بينها وبين عشيرتها كون ان بعض اغانيها قد وصل على شكل اسطوانات وانتشر  دون ان يعلموا ان التي تغني ابنتهم  ، وتم الاتفاق على نسيان اسم  اسمهان تماما ، فهي اليوم  " الاميره آمال الاطرش " فقط .

كان الامير حسن سعيدا بها ، احبها وتمنى ان تبقى زوجة له طول العمر ، وزاد فرحه حين انجبت منه ابنتها الوحيده كاميليا ، اما هي عاشت طوال ذلك الوقت متمردة ، قلقة ، وغير راضيه كونها ظلت تشعر بانها ارغمت على هذه الزيجه ولم تخترها فكثرت خلافتها معه .

كان حلم الطلاق يراودها والحنين الى مناخ الغناء والتسجيل والفن والحريه يضطرم بداخلها ، كتبت الى والدتها تستشيرها فوافقتها على الفور وشجعتها على ذلك موضحة ان حدث لن تعترض لكنها لن تساعد بشئ ، ولم يساعدها احد في طلب الانفصال  ولم تطلب العون كونها تدرك ان فريد مشغول بعالمه وفؤاد قد يرغمها على البقاء وتفهمت رغبة امها في تحاشى التصادم مع اهل ابيها .

استمرهذا التمرد و جعلها تواقة لحرية تشتهيها تجسدت على شكل طلاق اصرت عليه واتى في عام 1939 ميلاديه بعد زيجة لم تستمر اكثر من ست سنوات ، لتعود بعدها الى مصر عن طريق فلسطين ، وحين عادت لم تكن الآنسه الصغيرة اسمهان بل الست اسمهان .

قام الامير حسن بمحاولة اخيره ولحق بها  مع ابنته طالبا منها ان تعود لمنزل الزوجيه ، لكنها رفضت و بقوه ، وبقوة اكثر عنفا حاول شقيقها فؤاد ارغامها على العوده بالتهديد حينا والضرب المبرح احيانا ، فحاولت الانتحار عدة مرات ، وخوفا عليها وعلى حياتها عاد الامير حسن لجبل الدروز وحده تاركا الصغيره لدى جدتها وامها .

وكانت اسمهان في تلك الفتره مثل سجين تم اطلاق سراحه ، يريد ان يحيا ما حرم منه لسنوات في ايام ، فبات لها حضور في عالم الفن تجاوزه حضور صاخب في الحياة داخل صالونات القاهرة ، استطابت  السهر و لعب الميسر وبدأت تشرب الخمر و تعذب الرجال .

فهاهي تطلب من المعجب الأول بها طلعت حرب باشا دعوة البشوات " زملائه " كما تسميهم للسهر معهم في بيته وتتركه معهم ينتظرونها  حتى بدايات الصباح ، بينما تقضي امسيتها في لعب الورق مع صديقاتها بالمنزل وتناول ساندوتش الفلافل ( الطعميه ) الذي كانت تحبه ولم تزل منذ الايام القاسيه وحتى آخر ايام الرخاء .

المدهش ان بعض علية القوم من الرجال باتو يستعذبون هذا الاضطهاد الذي يعاملون به من قبلها ، ويستعذبون غرائب تصرفاتها ويتجرعون نزاقتها وتقلبها ، وكلما لمست منهم هذا القبول تفجرت اكثر واستهترت بهم ، باتت تسرف بالشرب في اي حفل تدعي له وهي الحديثه به، ليحملها بعض الحضور الى منزلها حملا و تستقبلها والدتها وابنتها المسكينه بالدعاء للمولى القدير ان يحفظ غاليتهم من كل سوء .

Marcel Dubé

◊ Un simple soldat par Marcel Dubé ◊

La Seconde Guerre mondiale et le mal de vivre au sein de la

population fragilisée par cette époque sombre.Un soldat

blasé d'un train de vie ennuyant, prônant plutôt 

le plaisir à l'avenir. 

Alexandre Lagueux

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

De retour chez lui, Joseph Latour se retrouve à faire face à une famille

désunie, où il ne se sent pas le bienvenu. Pris d'un mal

d'identité et noyé dans une révolte envers la terre

entière, Joseph trahira les siens pour se

libérer du monde étouffant dans

lequel il se sent pourrir...

Alexandre Lagueux

 ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

Synopsis:
Set between the 1930s,and the present, Maggie O'Farrell's new novel is the story of Esme, a woman edited out of her family's history, and of the secrets that come to light when, sixty years later, she is released from care, and a young woman, Iris, discovers the great aunt she never knew she had. The mystery that unfolds is the heartbreaking tale of two sisters in colonial India and 1930s Edinburgh - of the loneliness that binds them together and the rivalries that drive them apart, and lead one of them to a shocking betrayal - but above all it is the story of Esme, a fiercely intelligent, unconventional young woman, and of the terrible price she is made to pay for her family's unhappiness.

I read this book in a matter of hours, it was gripping, exciting and impossible to put down. This book caused a whole host of emotions as I read. I laughed and nearly cried at several parts of the book. My heart broke when I read what happened to Esme and I was disgusted and angry at her family.

My favourite characters where Iris and Esme, very similar characters I thought. I loved their passion and how they did as they pleased. Esme was so unconventional, not a typical 1930s girl and I admired her for taking a stand and being herself.

I enjoyed this book from page 1. The ending confused me a little but once I thought about it it made sense. It isn't how I would have ended the book but I still liked it.

I have never read Maggie O'Farrell before but I will definitely read more of her work. She dealt with issues of mental health, family, society and love delicately and extremely well.

10/10

Były już gry ładniejsze, mniej liniowe, bardziej rozbudowane... Były produkcje dłuższe, stawiające przed graczem dalece większe wyzwania. Ale niechaj skonam - w życiu nie widziałem na ekranie monitora historii równie poruszającej sumienie gracza!

Każdy gatunek gier ma swoich lepszych i gorszych przedstawicieli. Co roku w bólach rodzą się zarówno tysiące kazirodczych tworów o których wolelibyśmy w ogóle nie słyszeć, jak i setki wyczekiwanych perełek, niekiedy - kamieni milowych elektronicznej rozrywki. W roku 2002 z morza przeciętnych strzelanek, wyłoniła się właśnie taka perła. Sęk w tym, że - obok nieprzeciętnej, budzącej podziw oprawy, wyróżniała się także skłaniającą do myślenia fabułą i niejednoznacznym bohaterem. Historia Tommy'ego Angelo, taksówkarza z czasów rozkwitu gangsterskiej działalności, na terenie USA, do dziś jawi się w branży jako nieosiągalny niemal wzór.

„You're too human..." - Jesienna noc roku 30 ubiegłego stulecia. Taksówkarz pracujący w fikcyjnym mieście Lost Heaven, przypadkowo spotyka dwóch, niechcianych klientów. Tak rozpoczyna się niecodzienna opowieść o gangsterskiej codzienności. W trakcie jej opowiadania (fabuła jest zręcznie zamknięta w ramach retrospekcji), stykamy się z pewnego rodzaju dramatem - bohater zostaje mimowolnie wciągnięty w przestępcze bagno, z którego nie ma ucieczki. Mimo to Tommy, jako jeden z niewielu bohaterów gier o podobnej tematyce, nie wyzbywa się człowieczeństwa. Pnąc się coraz wyżej po szczeblach rodzinnej drabiny, odczuwa coraz to większe wyrzuty sumienia. „Mięczak" - pomyślą niektórzy. Mają rację - mięczak, niczym każdy (normalny) człowiek. Ekipie z Illusion Softworks udało się dokonać rzeczy niebywałej - nakreślić tak realistyczny i wyrazisty rys psychologiczny bohatera, jakiego do czasu wydania „Mafii" - śmiem stwierdzić - jeszcze nie było. Siła tej postaci nie tkwi jednak - bynajmniej - w praworządności, nic z tych rzeczy. Najważniejsza jest w niej ta prawdziwość, która nijak nie współgra ze stereotypem herosa („bohaterski altruista", lub „odjazdowy dupek"). Tommy, będąc naocznym świadkiem „ciekawych czasów", nie potrafi poradzić sobie z nowymi obowiązkami, jednak usiłuje utrzymać się na powierzchni, niekiedy ulegając pokusom łatwego wzbogacenia się.

Postaci drugoplanowe też zasługują na odrębny akapit. Co prawda, pozostali „chłopcy z ferajny" nie ukazują równie ciekawej postawy i rozterek, jednak gracz niezwykle mocno się do nich przywiązuje, a wręcz ufa im! Nie sposób tego nie docenić - tak silna empatia w grach, jest trudna do osiągnięcia nawet w przypadku głównego bohatera, nie mówiąc już o postaciach, którymi nie pokierujemy bezpośrednio...

Miasto moje a w nim... - Autorzy oddali w nasze ręce sporej wielkości miasto o otwartej strukturze. Nie oznacza to jednak, że i w kwestii wypełniania poszczególnych misji pozostawili graczowi tyle swobody. Jeżeli chodzi o kampanię, w ogólnym zarysie sprawa wygląda tak: w Lost Heaven mamy bazę wypadową w postaci baru Salieriego. To tam gracz podejmuje większość spośród 21 liniowych misji. W przeciwieństwie do gier tego typu - w historii opowiedzianej przez IS, miasto przyjmuje bardziej rolę olbrzymiego planu filmowego, aniżeli lunaparku, gdzie do woli można się wyszaleć. Oczywiście - mamy całkowitą dowolność w wyborze drogi, jednak koniec końców, by popchnąć fabułę do przodu i tak musimy przejechać z punktu A do B. Ciekawym patentem jest za to kwestia eksploracji. Na początku Lost Heaven posiada miejsca na mapie, których nie zwiedzimy od razu (choćby Chinatown, które jest wówczas odcięte przez roboty drogowe) a dopiero po ukończeniu odpowiedniej misji. Brzmi to dość sztucznie, jednak ta sytuacja znajduje logiczne wytłumaczenie w charakterze historii która już na początku zabawy okazuje się być retrospekcją.

Masz ognia? - Tommy, jako jedna z wielu marionetek, w tym teatrzyku śmierci naturalnie nie pozostaje bezbronny. Mafia posiada naprawdę ciekawe uzbrojenie, aczkolwiek dość słabo wyważone. Owszem - w nasze ręce oddano bardzo zróżnicowane bronie, jednak „broń broni nierówna" i przy legendarnym karabinie Thompson, wszystkie pozostałe wypadają zwyczajnie blado (o dziwo - bryluje on też na płaszczyźnie celności). Niektóre z narzędzi są też zwyczajnie niepraktyczne i o ile obecność snajperskiej wersji Mosina jest usprawiedliwiona i ma w fabule swoje pięć minut, o tyle granaty czy koktajle mołotowa to w Mafii narzędzia dla pasjonatów. Czego by jednak o nim nie mówić - sprzętu jest w tej grze sporo, w dodatku posiada solidne zaplecze historyczne - modele wszystkich spluw odwzorowane są w szczegółach na tyle, na ile tylko pozwalała grafika w 2002 roku.

F**k the system! - Dzieło Illusion Softworks okazało się przełomem na jeszcze jednej, niekoniecznie dla wszystkich przyjemnej płaszczyźnie, jaką jest realizm. Uderza choćby nadgorliwość stróżów prawa - o ile jeszcze mandaty i areszt za kolizje podczas prowadzenia nikogo raczej nie zdziwią, o tyle przekroczenie dozwolonej prędkości 60 km/h, maszerowanie ze spluwą w dłoni czy przejazd na czerwonym świetle rzadko znajdują się w grach na liście czynów karalnych. Olbrzymie brawa należą się też autorom za niezwykle przemyślany system komunikacji niebieskich. Otóż - gdy na oczach jednego gliniarza dopuścimy się przestępstwa, do czasu aż nie powiadomi on swych kolegów po fachu (poprzez telefon z budki telefonicznej) tylko on będzie on o wykroczeniu wiedział. Słowem, wystarczy się go pozbyć, by oszczędzić sobie dalszych kłopotów z prawem. Prawdziwe problemy zaczynają się dopiero w momencie, gdy powiadomi on centralę o naszym występku - naprawdę trudno w Mafii skutecznie zgubić policyjny ogon. W dużej mierze przyczynia się do tego model jazdy, realizmem dorównujący wielu grom rajdowym. Same pościgi często odstają tu od tego, do czego przyzwyczaiło nas dzisiejsze kino akcji. Samochody posiadają niezbyt imponujące (jednak odpowiednie dla okresu z którego pochodzą) osiągi, co potęguje wrażenie realizmu, niekoniecznie dla wszystkich wygodnego.

Chicago lightning - Grafika w dniu premiery (to już prawie 5 lat!) zachwycała szczegółowością, ale i budziła popłoch wśród kupujących. I nic dziwnego - by odpalić „Mafię" na maksymalnych ustawieniach grafiki, potrzebny był prawdziwy smok pancerny. Na szczególną uwagę, zasługują z pewnością efekty świetlne (rozbłyski przy strzale wciąż robią wrażenie), oraz system uszkodzeń pojazdów - przy odrobinie dobrych chęci, wygląd prowadzonego wozu można zmienić nie do poznania. Inna sprawa, że - nawet jeśli będą to wciąż cztery kółka (a nie - przykładowo - już tylko trzy), to drastycznej zmianie ulegną osiągi tego samochodu...

Znakomity, filmowy klimat dzieła IS, w dużej mierze buduje jego udźwiękowienie. Zasadniczo, muzyka dzieli się na dwie części - autentyczne utwory z lat trzydziestych, które słyszymy w trakcie jazdy po mieście i ścieżki orkiestralne, nagrane przez Vladimira Simunka, specjalnie na potrzeby gry. O ile ta pierwsza grupa może budzić pewne zastrzeżenia (jednak tylko co do ilości piosenek, bowiem są to klasyki i nic innego - moim zdaniem - by zamiast nich nie pasowało), o tyle aranżacje czeskiego kompozytora dziś zachwycają rozmachem w tym samym stopniu, co 6 lat temu.

Jak po sznurku - Jednym z najpoważniejszych zarzutów stawianych „Mafii", jest jej liniowość. Faktycznie - kampania jest ściśle podzielona na misje, a zadań pobocznych autorzy nam poskąpili. Trzeba sobie jednak zadać pytanie, czy w przypadku, gdy mielibyśmy pewną dowolność w wykonywaniu zadań, filmowy klimat fabuły by się uchował ? Jest to oczywiście moje osobiste zdanie, jednak uważam, że nie. Każdy epizod opowiedziany jest tu z polotem, posiada własny klimat. W sytuacji, gdy wszystko zostałoby wrzucone do jednego wora, twórcy musieliby znacznie uprościć niektóre aspekty opowiedzianej historii. W przeciwnym wypadku fabuła straciłaby bardzo dużo na spójności A tego nie chciałby na pewno nikt, kto miał okazję widzieć już outro owej gry.

Capo di tutti capi... - Do produkcji studia Illusion Softworks przyległ już słynny tytuł Ojca Chrzestnego gier. Czy jest on nadany na wyrost? Nie sądzę, bo posiada ona wszystko to, co powinno być zawarte w dobrym filmie gangsterskim: wiarygodni bohaterowie, mistrzowsko poprowadzona fabuła w której bynajmniej nie z efektownej strzelaniny widz czerpie przyjemność... Cóż - dla mnie, „Mafia: The City of Lost Heaven" to więcej niż gra. To legenda. Jeśli jeszcze nie miałeś okazji sprawdzić jak ten interaktywny film akcji wpłynie na Ciebie, zachęcam byś czym prędzej nadrobił zaległości.

boromi

ps: dodam tylko, że wersje konsolowe są tragiczne, z dala od nich! (cookie)

مواهبها الفنية ظهرت باكرا ، كانت تغني في المدرسه والبيت مقلدة ام كلثوم تارة وعبدالوهاب تارة اخرى ، وتسعد كثيرا حين تغني احد اعمال اخيها الفنان فريد الاطرش الذي بات يغنى في اذاعة القاهرة محترفا الغناء وكانت تشاركه فكريا ووجدانيا الولع في الموسيقى ، ويمضيان الوقت معا في احلام يقظه واحلام عاطفيه تحرك بداخلهم مشاعر كثيره ، كانت تغني له ولوالدتها بصوت كان رغم صغر سنها رائعا باحاسيسه وابعاده  .

ذات مساء دعا الفنان الناشئ لمنزله احد عمالقة الموسيقى في مصر وهو الفنان داود حسني الذي سمع آمال تغني بغرفتها فطلب من اخيها احضارها واستأذنها ان تغني من جديد ، غنت فاطربته وتأثر حتى دمعت عيناه و بعد ان انتهت قال لاسرتها " كنت ارعى فتاة تشبه آمال وصوتها جميل الا ان الموت كان اسبق لها من الشهرة ، لذلك فانت من الآن ستحملين اسمها الفني وهو اسمهان " .

كان هذا الاسم المستعار الذي اختاره لها وبقي  راسخا في ذاكرة البشر الى اليوم اكثر من اسم آمال الذي نادته به اسرتها واهلها وضيوفها في تلك الفترة واشهر من اسم ايميلي الذي اشتهرت به بالمدرسه .

تعهد الموسيقار داود حسني بتدريبها على الغناء و صنع لها دعايه في الوسط الفني عبر حديثه الدائم عنها فأتى لمنزل العائلة المتواضع في الفجاله الملحن المعروف القصبجي ليستمع لها وحين فعل قال " هذا صوت من الجنه " ،.

في عمر الخمسة عشر عاما دخلت اجواء الغناء في الافراح والمدارس و ذاعت شهرتها في القاهرة وهي صغيرة السن ، في عمر ستة عشر عاما كانت اصغر مطربه تغنى بدار الاوبرا  حيث كانت لم تزل طالبه ترتدي المريول يوميا كل صباح في مدرسة الفرير بحي الظاهر في القاهره ،في ذلك الوقت استمع عبدالوهاب لصوتها وقال  " اسمهان فتاة صغيره لكن صوتها صوت امرأه ناضجه "، كما سجلت اول  اغنيه لها وقبضت اول مبلغ في حياتها الفنيه وكان عشرون جنيها .

في عام 1931 بدأت تشارك اخيها فريد الغناء في صالة ماري منصور في شارع عماد الدين ، وبات لكل منهما دخل مالي بالاضافة لعمل اخيهما فؤاد في وظيفة ثابته ، و انتقلت الاسرة للسكن في شقة بمنطقة غاردن سيتي حيث اقبلت الدنيا عليهم من جديد .

Eu nu stiu daca pana si C.P.Tariceanu sau Troaca C. David sunt in solda acestor hahalere de nu se poate face CHIAR NIMIC PALPABIL, incapand cu coruptia din politica si terminand cu cea din strada, dar stiu ca orice tergiversare a procesul de combatere dura dar in spiritul legii a fenomenului, va avea ca efect pervers incurajarea migrarii si asocierii cetatenilor spre astfel de forme de "autoritate"... de aici si pana la latinizarea (America latina) societatii noastre fiind doar un pas.

Daca nu stiti sau nu aveti COAIE in dotare, numiti-ma pe mine seful unui task-force cu MI-ul si serviciile in subordine si sa vedeti apoi curetenie generala in maxim 30 de zile, altfel curand Romania va reitera epoca Al Capone a Chicago-ului anilor 30... Fara exagerare!

1= , SorinPLATON

Kilt em!

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For anybody that hasn't been watching the Olympics, last night Jamaican runner Usain Bolt broke Michael Johnson's 1996 200 meter world record setting a new record of 19.30 seconds. It was an amazing moment watching the charismatic Bolt take the gold. But what sparked my interest was of course, the shoes! Click here for more pictures and videos.

After a little google'ing I found out, as a tribute to Michael Johnson, Bolt wore a gold colorway of the Puma Theseus II's. And upon searching some more, realized that it was a special colorway made just for him. I was a little disappointed, you would think because of Bolt, Puma would fully take advantage of this and start churning out these sneakers to the public like chocolate milkshakes. So I e-mailed Puma and let them know how I feel and hopefully they'll reply back with some good news(btw puma, i wear a size 9.5 or 10 *wink wink*). But in the meantime, if you guys want to ever see the light of day where you'll have a chance to have a pair of Bolt's on your feet, I suggest you let Puma know at:

customerservice@puma.com
http://about.puma.com/EN/7/118/118/

I mean, what have you got to lose besides a minute of your day?
Anyway, enough of the rambling. Here are videos of both Usain Bolt and Michael Johnson's record breaking accomplishments along with pictures of both athletes and their golden sneakers:

Usain Bolt 19.30 200 meter record:

Michael Johnson 19.32 200 meter record(video is a little long but just watch at least the first 2 minutes if you're in a rush):

Behind the scenes with Usain Bolt in Beijing and doing promotion for Puma:

Usain Bolt:

Michael Johnson:

And if you want a pair of the sneakers Usain Bolt is wearing in the Puma promo photos, you can get them HERE.

Congratulations to Shawn Johnson for her long awaited, and well deserved, gold medal. In the words of Nastia Liukin and her father/coach, this really was the perfect ending for USA gymnastics for these Beijing Olympics. In the end, the US women actually ended up getting more medals than the Chinese women, including 1 Gold, 3 Silvers for Shawn Johnson and 1 Gold, 3 Silvers, 1 Bronze for Nastia Liukin. Of course, no matter how fervently Bela Karolyi says it on NBC with Bob Costas, I think objectively you can say that the Chinese team had the more successful Olympics, given their golds. Whether you believe that's due to some scoring arbitrariness though is up to you. In my (uninformed) opinion, all of the scores were a little arbitrary, not just the Chinese, and I did not see any reason to think the Chinese were getting anything more than an innocent home crowd bump.

Give Bela credit though, he has an unwavering passion for USA Gymnastics, and I absolutely respect that. He really is the reason why gymnastics is so popular and successful here.

One last thing about SJ. I don't know why, but the medal ceremony always gets me. If I were an athlete who had just garnered a gold and was standing there with the anthem playing... well, I'd be one of those with tears in my eyes. So it was very nice to see Shawn Johnson on the podium finally getting her gold, with her parents in the stands pretty much wrecked and ecstatic, and with her fully appreciating the moment and becoming a little emotional. All in all, great job by the Americans, and 2012 is already shaping up to be a great competition. It will be interesting to see how many of the "20" year old Chinese girls will be on the team (He Kexin anyone?), and whether the Russians will redouble their efforts to get back into gymnastic relevance.

Now, Usain Bolt.

First off, he has absolutely the perfect name for Olympic competition... Not just the obvious "bolt" and its lightning connotations, but the "Usain" is sufficiently pronouncable and exotic at the same time. It just rolls off the tongue, no?

Second, yes, he's a bit of a brash youngster, perhaps even a jerk to some! Now, in the world of NFL wide receivers like Chad Johnson and TO and so on, he'd fit right in... which maybe makes some of his antics a bit unbearable in the Olympics. And, he's gotta get another pose besides his finger pointing thing into the air.

I mean, once in a while, maybe just once per race, would be borderline for this trite pose. But to do it during his introductions, then when he finishes, and to do it for every preliminary round AND the finals? We've seen this about 12 times already, and it's gotta go.

Now, about the running itself... Best I've ever seen. And this is all that probably matters. I never ever thought that Michael Johnson's 19:32 would ever be broken. For those that don't remember, that number was INCREDIBLE back in 1996. He broke the record by an unthinkable amount, and it seemed like one of those seismic shifts that just wouldn't be accounted for until say 2050 if at all. But this guy just broke it without a problem. Absolutely incredible.

For those who haven't seen him run, I would go post haste to youtube and look for his races. His 100m dashes seriously look like he's jogging. His 200m final was so incredibly dominant that he's practically the only on on the track. His race around the turn was flawless. And he'll be unbeatable in 2012 as well.

Updated: 2008-08-20 23:37:30

Jamaica's Usain Bolt poses by his world record winning time (Photo credit: Liao Yujie/Xinhua)

Photo Gallery>>

(BEIJING, August 20) -- Jamaican Usain Bolt dashed through the finish line of the Men's 200m to complete a rare sprint double by winning the Men's 200m, days after having won the Men's 100m at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Bolt set a new world record of 19.30 seconds in the Men's 200m final to take the gold medal in this event on August 20. His elegant and relaxed performance has captivated the world of Athletics.

Shawn Crawford of the United States took the silver medal with a time of 19.96 seconds, striding in just ahead of bronze medalist Walter Dix at 19.98s.

Churandy Martina of the Netherlands Antilles, who had apparently taken the silver with his nation's best ever time of 19.82 seconds, was disqualified under IAAF Rule 163.3 -- lane infringement. The Jury of Appeal evaluated all available evidence and decided to accept the appeal presented by the United States team.

Usain Bolt crosses the finish line. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Bolt has become the first man to win the 100m and 200m in the same Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.

Other double sprint champions include American Jesse Owens, who won the 100m and 200m at Berlin at the 1936 Olympics, and Valery Borzov of the then Soviet Union, who won both 100m and 200m at Munich in the 1972 Olympics.

The youthful and exuberant champion could barely contain his joy, "I never expected this. I knew the track was a fast track but I didn't think this was possible."

Bolt reveled in his spirited celebrations, laughing and dancing and posing for the world while draped in his national colors.

"I'm shocked, I am still shocked. I have been aspiring to the world record for so long."

This Jamaican sprint giant entered into the final of the Men's 200m as favorite after leaving the world in awe with his phenomenal 9.69s world record triumph in the Men's 100m on August 16.

Predominantly renowned for his 200m talent, Bolt made headlines earlier this year when he stormed onto the 100m scene, clocking 9.72s to break the world record in New York in May. Initially, Bolt was using the 100m for "speed work" to improve on his more favored 200m.

Bolt has now run the four fastest 200m times in the world this year, including 19.67s (Athens), 19.76s (London) and 19.83s (Ostrava). His winning run of 19.67s at the Athens Grand Prix in July was the fifth-fastest ever.

Wallace Spearmon of the United States was also disqualified from an apparent bronze medal performance because of a lane violation. In the course of defending his challenge, the US track officials discovered Martina's error.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/athletics/n214568694.shtml

Bolt strikes twice, with a second WR

DQs move Americans into silver, bronze positions

By The Associated Press

Posted Wednesday, August 20, 2008 5:26 AM ET

BEIJING (AP) -- Arms churning high, face twisted in pain as he sprinted toward the finish line, Usain Bolt kept glancing at the clock.

The win in the Olympic 200 meters was a given, his second gold medal of the Beijing Games assured.

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Usain Bolt sets another world record in the 200m final. Americans Shawn Crawford and Walter Dix get silver and bronze, respectively.

This was now about a world record. About racing against history.

Showing just what he can do when he goes all out start to finish, Bolt forged the greatest race ever run Wednesday night under the hazy lights at the Bird's Nest, heaving his chest toward the finish line -- not simply to beat someone for the gold, but to become a part of track's glorious, and sometimes troubled, lore.

He finished in 19.30 seconds to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old world record, one of the most venerable in the books.

"I just blew my mind and blew the world's mind," Bolt said.

Insane, Usain.

Officially, he won by an astounding 0.66 second over American Shawn Crawford, the defending Olympic champion. Crawford won the silver medal when Churandy Martina of Netherlands Antilles, who had finished 0.52 behind Bolt, was disqualified after a U.S. protest for running out of his lane. "It feels like a charity case," Crawford said.

Either way, it was about four body lengths, the biggest margin in an Olympic 200.

American Walter Dix was awarded the bronze medal when the third man across the line, teammate Wallace Spearmon, also was DQ'd for leaving his lane. (Official results)

Footnotes to history.

Bolt added the 19.30 -- 0.02 better than Johnson's old mark -- to the 9.69 he ran the 100 four nights before when he hot-dogged the final 20 meters to set the world record.

Everyone thought he could've done better in the 100 had he run hard the whole way, but the 200 has always been Bolt's favorite, the one he spent his life on, and this time he saved the showboating for after the race.

"I've been dreaming of this since I was yea high," Bolt said. "So it means a lot more to me actually than the 100 means."

After the unrelenting effort with a slight headwind in his face, Bolt sprawled out on the ground, arms and legs outstretched, basking in the roar of the Bird's Nest crowd and the glow of becoming, quite possibly, the greatest sprinter ever.

Bolt's name now goes above, or at least beside, every great sprinter to ever put on spikes.

He became the first man to win the 100-200 double at the Olympics since Carl Lewis in 1984.

He gets mentioned in the same breath with Johnson, as well as Jesse Owens and any of the other six men to complete the Olympic 100-200 double. Nobody other than Johnson had ever run a 200 in under 19.6 and nobody had broken 9.7 in the 100 before Beijing.

Bolt has done both, the only man ever to break the world record in both sprints in the same Olympics.

Bolt is simply a different kind of runner -- coiled power in his 6-foot-5 frame, supposedly too big for success in the 100, but certainly built to run the 200.

"It's his anatomy," said Renaldo Nehemiah, the former world record-holder in the 110-meter hurdles. "He's just blessed with an uncanny frame, an uncanny quickness, a huge competitive heart. And he is having a good time, which I think our sport sorely needs to see."

Indeed, track and field could use a breath of fresh air after years of bad news, bad characters and failed drug tests that have come close to turning the sport into second-tier Olympic viewing.

Videos

• 
  

  Usain Bolt wins men's 100m final

  Jamaica's Usain Bolt blows away the field, setting the world record at 9.69.

• Track: Usain Bolt wins 200m final
• Track: Bolt's 200m (alternate angles)

Related Stories

• IOC to Bolt: Tone it down
• Results
• Two DQ'd
• Live blog
• Abrahamson: Bolt blazes into history

There are cynics who believe Bolt might be too good to be true himself. But the Jamaican insists he is clean, that he plays by the rules, that any improvement he's enjoyed over the last few months has come courtesy of rededicating himself to his training and staying off the dance floor he loves so much.

Before the race, track officials said he had been subjected to 11 doping tests since the beginning of 2008, including four since July 27. None so far has come back positive.

The man whose record fell was talking about Bolt's dominance, not his drug tests, when it was over.

"Incredible," Johnson said. "He got an incredible start. Guys of 6-5 should not be able to start like that. It's that long, massive stride. He's eating up so much more track than others. He came in focused, knowing he would likely win the gold and he's got the record."

Bolt's move out of the starting block isn't nearly as important in the 200 as the 100, which makes the longer race more about raw speed. But a good start certainly doesn't hurt. He got one this time, even if it was fifth out of the eight runners. He burst out of the blocks from Lane 5 and overcame the lag about a quarter of the way through.

He averaged 9.65 per 100 meters -- faster than his 4-day-old record in the 100.

Bolt won the race on the eve of his 22nd birthday and a version of "Happy Birthday" played over the public-address system as he took off his gold shoes and wrapped the Jamaican flag around his shoulders like a scarf.

He did another hip-swiveling dance, then raised his hands and pointed toward the scoreboard. A little later, he posed near the trackside clock -- the traditional picture that all world record-setters take. Bolt now has three of them -- this, the 100 from Saturday and the picture he took in New York in May when he broke the 100 record the first time.

"You're back there giving it everything you've got -- it's brutal," said Kim Collins, the 2003 world champ who finished sixth. "He's doing it and making it look so simple. Michael Johnson did it, and it didn't look that easy."

It sparked a tremendous celebration in Jamaica, which improved to 3-for-3 in Olympic sprints, including Shelly-Ann Fraser's win in the women's 100 on Sunday.

There was more for the island country to be happy about Wednesday night.

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Shortly after Bolt finished, Jamaican Melaine Walker won the women's 400-meter hurdles in an Olympic-record 52.64, finishing ahead of American Sheena Tosta.

More than an hour later, in a nearly empty Bird's Nest, the struggling American team -- the team with only three gold medals so far -- took another blow when Brad Walker, the reigning pole vault world champion, didn't reach the final.

All of that was mere filler on this night, though.

And while Michael Phelps may be The Story of these Olympics with his swimming gold medals, Bolt became the breakout superstar in his own right with double world records.

"I can't, I won't compare myself with Michael Phelps," Bolt said. "I'm on the track; he's in the water. We can't compare too much. He's the best in what he do."

So is Bolt, and his sheer dominance in the most basic tests of speed will not soon be surpassed.

Unless, of course, he does it himself.

"As he gets older, physically more mature, he can only get faster," Nehemiah said.

Who would be surprised?

http://www.nbcolympics.com/trackandfield/news/newsid=239399.html?_source=rss&cid=

Photos: Bolt breaks 200m world record

Updated: 2008-08-20 22:48:03

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates after his win. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

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Usain Bolt of Jamaica clocked a new world record of 19.30 seconds to win the Olympic 200m gold medal on Wednesday.

Usain Bolt reacts after breaking the world record. (Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt poses next to the clock. (Photo credit: Mark Dadswell/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates after his win. (Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt of Jamaica celebrates after his win. (Photo credit: Xinhua)

Usain Bolt reacts after breaking the world record. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt crosses the finish line. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Usain Bolt crosses the finish line. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/athletics/n214568474.shtml

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXJdtYO9tgM

Beijing 2008 Usain Bolt 19.30 Shatters 200m World Record in Olympics Final! Gold Medal ...

Usain Bolt Breaks the WR in the Olympic championship in Beijing 2008 with a time of 19.30, beating Michael Johnson's 1996 ...

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Walker takes gold in Olympic record

Updated: 2008-08-21 00:07:34

Melaine Walker celebrates after winning the gold medal. (Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

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(BEIJING, August 20) -- Melaine Walker of Jamaica set an Olympic record to win the Women's 400m Hurdles, emerging victorious over pre-race favorite and rival Sheena Tosta of the United States at the National Stadium on Wednesday, August 20.

Walker, in her Olympic debut, crossed the line in 52.64 seconds to prove that it is not only the Jamaican men who can set Athletics records.

Tosta held on for silver in 53.70, with Tasha Danvers of Great Britain claiming the bronze, her first major championships medal, in a personal best 53.84.

As Walker pulled into the home straight, only Tosta was left to challenge her and the two left the rest of the field behind in a sprint to the line, with Walker pulling away from Tosta over the last 50 meters.

Danvers kicked as she entered the straight but was pushed all the way to the line by Anastasiya Rabchenyuk of Ukraine, who finished fourth, 0.12s behind.

Tiffany Ross-Williams of the United States, the winner of the 2008 US Olympic trials, finished in last place in a disappointing 57.55.

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/athletics/n214568770.shtml

Photos: Jamaican Walker wins Women's 400m Hurdles gold

Updated: 2008-08-20 23:05:24

Melaine Walker (C) competes. (Photo credit: Michael Steele/Getty Images)

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Jamaica's Melaine Walker clocked 52.62 seconds to win the Women's 400m Hurdles at the Olympic Games here on Wednesday.

American Sheena Tosta took the silver and Tasha Danvers of Britain got the bronze.

Melaine Walker (C) competes. (Photo credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images)

Melaine Walker celebrates after winning the gold medal. (Photo credit: Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Melaine Walker celebrates after winning the gold medal. (Photo credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

http://en.beijing2008.cn/news/sports/headlines/athletics/n214568554.shtml

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y-8kRGvX4Y

Click here for the race video -

200m in 19.30s! 20 August 2008, Beijing olympics

Jamaica's Usain Bolt added the 200m crown to his Olympic 100m title in an incredible new world record time of 19.30 seconds in Beijing.

The 21-year-old, who won the 100m title in a world record of 9.69 secs, powered past the field to cross the line and smash Michael Johnson's mark of 19.32.  

Usain Bolt's 200m victory in a new world record time of 19.30 seconds was simply incredible. This guy is Superman II. Michael Johnson Former 200m world record holder