vineri, 31 mai 2013

Antoni Gaudí's glorious vision

..a.k.a. God's Architect, Antoni Gaudí (born on June 25, 1852), learned architecture at a young age and attended school in Barcelona, the city that would become home to most of his great works. Gaudí was part of the Catalan Modernista movement, eventually transcending it with his nature-based organic style. Gaudí died on June 10, 1926.

Early Years

Antoni Gaudí was born in Catalonia on the Mediterranean coast of Spain in 1852. He showed an early interest in architecture, and in 1869 or 1870 he went to study in Barcelona, Spain’s most modern city at the time. After his studies were interrupted by military service, Gaudí graduated from the Provincial School of Architecture in 1878.

Upon graduation, Gaudí initially worked in the artistic vein of his Victorian predecessors, but he soon developed his own style, composing his works with juxtapositions of geometric masses and animating the surfaces with patterned brick or stone, bright ceramic tiles and floral or reptilian metalwork. The salamander in Park Güell, for instance, is representative of Gaudí’s work.

During his early period, at the Paris World's Fair of 1878, Gaudí displayed a showcase he had produced, which impressed one patron enough to lead to Gaudí’s working on the Güell Estate and Güell Palace, among others. In 1883, Gaudí was charged with the construction of a Barcelona cathedral called Basilica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family). The plans had been drawn up earlier, and construction had already begun, but Gaudí completely changed the design, stamping it with his own distinctive style.

The Mature Artist

After 1902, Antoni Gaudí’s designs began to defy conventional stylistic classification, and he created a type of structure known as equilibrated—that is, it could stand on its own without internal bracing, external buttressing, etc. The primary functional elements of this system were columns that tilted to employ diagonal thrusts and lightweight tile vaults. Notably, Gaudí used his equilibrated system to construct two Barcelona apartment buildings: the Casa Batlló (1904–06) and the Casa Milà (1905–10), whose floors were structured like clusters of tile lily pads. Both projects are considered to be characteristic of Gaudí’s style.

Personal life 

Gaudí devoted his life entirely to his profession, remaining single. He is only known to have been attracted to one woman—Josefa Moreu, teacher at the Mataró Cooperative, in 1884—but this was not reciprocated.Thereafter Gaudí took refuge in the profound spiritual peace his Catholic faith offered him. Gaudí is often depicted as unsociable and unpleasant, a man of gruff reactions and arrogant gestures. However, those who were close to him described him as friendly and polite, pleasant to talk to and faithful to friends.
Gaudí’s personal appearance—Nordic features, blond hair and blue eyes—changed radically over the course of time. As a young man, he dressed like a dandy in costly suits, sporting well-groomed hair and beard, indulging gourmet taste, making frequent visits to the theatre and the opera and visiting his project sites in a horse carriage. The older Gaudí ate frugally, dressed in old, worn-out suits, and neglected his appearance to the extent that sometimes he was taken for a beggar, such as after the accident that caused his death.
Death

Gaudí’s funeral (12 June 1926)
On 7 June 1926, Gaudí was taking his daily walk to the Sant Felip Neri church for his habitual prayer and confession. While walking along the Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes between Girona and Bailén streets, he was struck by a passing tram and lost consciousness.[48] Assumed to be a beggar because of his lack of identity documents and shabby clothing, the unconscious Gaudí did not receive immediate aid. Eventually a police officer transported him in a taxi to the Santa Creu Hospital, where he received rudimentary care.[49] By the time that the chaplain of the Sagrada Família, Mosén Gil Parés, recognised him on the following day, Gaudí's condition had deteriorated too severely to benefit from additional treatment. Gaudí died on 10 June 1926 at the age of 73 and was buried two days later. A large crowd gathered to bid farewell to him in the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the crypt of the Sagrada Família. His gravestone bears this inscription:
Antonius Gaudí Cornet. Reusensis. Annos natus LXXIV, vitae exemplaris vir, eximiusque artifex, mirabilis operis hujus, templi auctor, pie obiit Barcinone die X Junii MCMXXVI, hinc cineres tanti hominis, resurrectionem mortuorum expectant. R.I.P.

RO:
.. A.k.a. Arhitect lui Dumnezeu, Antoni Gaudí (născut la 25 iunie 1852), a învățat arhitectura la o vârstă fragedă și a urmat școala în Barcelona, ​​orașul care va deveni casa de cele mai multe dintre lucrările sale mari. Gaudi a fost parte a mișcării moderniste catalan, în cele din urmă depășind cu stilul său organic bazat pe natură. Gaudi a murit la 10 iunie 1926.

Primii ani

Antoni Gaudí a fost născut în Catalonia, pe coasta mediteraneană a Spaniei în 1852. El a arătat un interes timpuriu în arhitectură, și în 1869 sau 1870 el a mers să studieze în Barcelona, ​​oras din Spania cel mai modern la acea vreme. După studiile sale au fost întrerupte de serviciul militar, Gaudi a absolvit Școala provincială de arhitectură în 1878.


La absolvire, Gaudi a lucrat inițial în venă artistic de predecesorii săi victoriene, dar el a dezvoltat repede propriul stil, compus operele sale cu juxtapuneri de mase geometrice și animarea suprafetele cu model caramida sau piatra, placi ceramice luminoase și metalice florale sau reptilian. Salamander in Parcul Guell, de exemplu, este reprezentant de munca lui Gaudi.

În perioada sa timpurie, la Targul de la Paris Mondiale de 1878, Gaudi afișat un exemplu el a produs, care a impresionat un patron suficient pentru a duce la lui Gaudi lucrează la Güell Estate și Güell Palace, printre altele. In 1883, Gaudi a fost acuzat de construirea unei catedrale Barcelona numit Bazilica i Templul Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Basilica și ispășitoare Biserica Sfânta Familie). Planurile au fost elaborate mai devreme, și de construcție au început deja, dar Gaudi a schimbat complet designul, ștampilarea cu stilul său distinctiv.

Artist matur

După 1902, modele Antoni Gaudí a început să sfideze clasificare stilistice convenționale, și a creat un tip de structură cunoscut sub numele de echilibrat, care este, s-ar putea sta pe cont propriu fara prelungitor interne, consolidarea, externe, etc Elementele funcționale principale ale acestui sistem au fost coloanele care înclinat să angajeze lovituri diagonale și bolți ușoare țiglă. În special, Gaudi a folosit sistemul său echilibrat pentru a construi două clădiri de apartamente Barcelona: Casa Batlló (1904-1906), iar Casa Milà (1905-1910), a cărui etaje au fost structurate ca grupuri de tampoane crin țiglă. Ambele proiecte sunt considerate a fi caracteristice stilului lui Gaudi.

Viața personală

Gaudi a dedicat viața în totalitate profesiei sale, rămas singur. El este cunoscut doar pentru a fi atras de o femeie profesor-Josefa Moreu, la Cooperativa Mataró, în 1884, dar acest lucru nu a fost reciprocated.Thereafter Gaudí s-au refugiat în pace spirituală profundă credința sa catolică i-au oferit. Gaudi este adesea descris ca nesociabil și neplăcut, un om de reacții aspru și gesturi arogant. Cu toate acestea, cei care s-au apropiat de el la descris ca fiind prietenos și politicos, plăcut să vorbesc cu și credincioși la prieteni.

Caracteristicile lui Gaudi personale aspect-nordice, păr blond și ochi albaștri-a schimbat radical de-a lungul timpului. Ca un tânăr, el a îmbrăcat ca un dandy în costume scumpe, sportive, par bine îngrijit și barbă, complac gust gastronomic, făcând vizite frecvente la teatru și la operă și vizitarea site-urile sale de proiect într-o căruță trasă de cai. Gaudi mai mâncat frugal, îmbrăcați în costume vechi, uzate, și a neglijat aspectul său în măsura în care, uneori, el a fost luat de un cerșetor, cum ar fi după accident care a cauzat moartea sa.

Moarte

Înmormântarea lui Gaudí (12 iunie 1926)

La 7 iunie 1926 Gaudi a fost plimbarea lui de zi cu zi la Sant Felip Neri biserica pentru rugaciune sa obișnuită și mărturisire. În timp ce mersul pe jos de-a lungul Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes între Girona și străzi Bailén, el a fost lovit de un tramvai care trece și-a pierdut cunoștința. [48] presupune a fi un cerșetor, din cauza lipsei sale de acte de identitate și haine ponosite, Gaudi a făcut inconștient nu primi ajutor imediat. În cele din urmă un ofițer de poliție l-au transportat într-un taxi la Spitalul Creu Mos Craciun, unde a primit ingrijiri medicale rudimentare. [49] Până în momentul în care preotul de Sagrada Familia, Mosen Gil Pares, l-au recunoscut în ziua următoare, starea lui Gaudi au deteriorat prea grav pentru a beneficia de tratament suplimentar. Gaudi a murit pe 10 iunie 1926, la vârsta de 73 de ani și a fost îngropat două zile mai târziu. O mare mulțime de oameni s-au adunat pentru a rămas bun de la el în Capela Maicii Domnului de pe Muntele Carmel în cripta de Sagrada Familia. Piatra sa funerară poartă inscripția aceasta:
Antonius Gaudí Cornet. Reusensis. Annos natus LXXIV, vitae exemplaris vir, eximiusque artifex, mirabilis operis hujus, templi auctor, pie obiit Barcinone die X Junii MCMXXVI, hinc cineres tanti hominis, resurrectionem mortuorum expectant. R.I.P.

miercuri, 29 mai 2013

Games now and then

..I remember when i was a child,and first played prince of persia on an old computer..same with duke nukem,fifa 95,98,sonic,hitman and so on..and now when i play the new versions of these games,the evolution of the gaming industry is simply stunning! here are some exemples:

Prince of persia




Duke Nukem 


Fifa




Sonic



Hitman


GTA


                               


 Well these are just a few well known franchises,that pop in my mind right now,but there are plenty more good exemples...we should expect big,futuristic things from the new gen consoles!Enjoy!

marți, 28 mai 2013

UNION CHAPEL..why aren't all like this one?!

..Union Chapel is today a working church, an award winning venue and a centre for those homeless and in crisis in London.
http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/
Today i came across Union Chapel,via youtube,while searching for some live music,and since i have a big passion lately for UK artists,i was searching some live performance of Maverick Sabre and this is how i found this video..
Maverick Sabre & Liam Bailey - Used To Have It All // Live at Union Chapel

And since i was there,i went forward with a live from  Delilah & Liam Bailey - Breathe // Live at Union Chapel

Now my problem is,why aren't all churches/chapels like this one?why build such a big place,for the comunity,without using it at all it's potential? Why is the so called House of the Lord,just a big empty building,always in need of money,without trying at least to finance itself?Why not giving people the oportunity to enjoy great concerts,theatrical performances,or even the chance to talented,new artists to perform and start a career while the people in charge of the church collect funds from tickets?
In many contries there are more churches than schools,builded from state funds,but no one use them for a good purpose,they are almost always open,to allow you to enter and pray inside,that's it!..why not change that? why not making it a self-financing building,creating jobs,helping the community in so many ways!

I want to congratulate Union Chapel,i don't know anyone from there,or ever been to it..but in my opinion is one of the few chapels that worth existing!
ENJOY,and TAKE ATITUDE!!!
















RO:
.. Capela Uniunea este astăzi o biserică de lucru, un premiat loc și un centru pentru cei fără adăpost în timpul crizei din Londra.
http://www.unionchapel.org.uk/
Astăzi am dat peste Union Chapel, prin intermediul YouTube, în timp ce cautam muzica live, si din moment ce am o pasiune mare în ultima vreme pentru artiștii din Marea Britanie, am fost în căutarea unor spectacole live a lui Maverick Sabre si acest lucru este modul în care am găsit acest video ..
Maverick Sabre & Liam Bailey - Used To Have It All // Live at Union Chapel
si din momentul in care eram acolo,am dat si de  Delilah & Liam Bailey - Breathe // Live at Union Chapel

Acum, problema mea este, de ce nu sunt toate bisericile / capele ca aceasta? De ce sa construiesti un astfel de loc mare, pentru comunitate, fără a te utiliza de el, la adevaratul potențial? De ce este așa-numita Casa Domnului, doar o clădire mare goala, mereu în nevoie de bani, fără a încerca cel puțin să se finanțeze? De ce nu ofera ​​oameniilor oportunitatea de a se bucura de concerte mari, spectacole de teatru, sau chiar șansa de a lansa talente , noi artiști pentru a le da sansa de a începe o carieră, în timp ce oamenii care se ocupă de biserica vor colecta fonduri de la bilete?
In multe tari exista mai multe biserici, decat scoli, ridicate din fondurile statului, dar nimeni nu le foloseste pentru un scop bun, ele sunt aproape întotdeauna deschise, pentru a permite oamenilor să intre și să se roage în interior,atat! .. de ce nu schimba asta? de ce nu-i o clădire care se poate auto-finanța , care sa creeze noi locuri de muncă, ajutând comunitatea în moduri atât de multe!
Vreau să felicit Chapel Union, nu cunosc pe nimeni de acolo, si nu am fost vreodată in ea .. dar în opinia mea este una dintre cele câteva capele care merită sa existe!
Enjoy si luati atitudine!

luni, 27 mai 2013

PERFUME, THE STORY OF A MURDERER by Patrick Süskind

... Patrick Süskind (born 26 March 1949) was born in Ambach am Starnberger See, near Munich in Germany.
His best-known work is the internationally acclaimed bestseller Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (1985). This was made into a film in 2006 by Tom Tykwer. Perfume was on the bestselling list of the German weekly news magazine Der Spiegel for nine years. He is also the author of a novella, The Pigeon (1988), The Story of Mr. Sommer (1991), Three Stories and a Reflection (1996), and a collection of essays, On Love and Death (2006).
Süskind lives as a recluse in Munich, in Seeheim (Lake Starnberg), and in France. The public knows little about Süskind currently. He has withdrawn from the literary scene in Germany and never grants interviews or allows photos.


PERFUME, THE STORY OF A MURDERER

...PATRICK SUSKIND'S novel is a book of smells - the odors of history, in fact - and on the first page 18th-century Paris is anatomized into its component stinks. In its most fetid spot, beside a mephitic cemetery and beneath a fish stall, the hero of ''Perfume,'' Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, is born. But the point, the miraculous point, is that he has no smell at all. He is an orphan whose absence of body odor turns him, also, into an outcast - both damned and blessed, pariah and magician.
Grenouille himself is haunted by smells. He recognizes the odors of separate stones and of the varieties of water; he can locate even the most tremulous perfume from miles away; he can separate the simplest stench into its various elements - that of a human being, for example, being composed of cat feces, cheese and vinegar. As a child and young man, he survives as an outsider only through some stubborn instinct - deciding ''in favor of life out of sheer spite and sheer malice'' -but this means that in 18th-century France, in an age of ''reason'' and a time of ''progress,'' he is a barbaric intruder. For him, this is a world stripped bare of its more elegant trappings and organized around the one fundamental principle of smell. 
As a boy, he lives to decipher the odors of Paris, and apprentices himself to a prominent perfumer who teaches him the ancient art of mixing precious oils and herbs. But Grenouille's genius is such that he is not satisfied to stop there, and he becomes obsessed with capturing the smells of objects such as brass doorknobs and frest-cut wood. Then one day he catches a hint of a scent that will drive him on an ever-more-terrifying quest to create the "ultimate perfume"—the scent of a beautiful young virgin. Told with dazzling narrative brillance, Perfume is a hauntingly powerful tale of murder and sensual depravity.

If you don't have time for the book,the movie is pretty accurate,less details,but still one worth seen it.

duminică, 26 mai 2013

Fast and furious 6..or as lame as it gets


..i saw it today,and it is worst than expected!Lame jokes,not to many cars or car action,and as you expected the law of gravity doesn't apply in F&F..+ the package of muscle in these movie is too high!!! I mean you have to be a big wrestling fun to enjoy the movie..and don't get me started about the cars..excepting 2 EVO X and a Nissan wich apear for 2,3 minutes,at the start and the big finale they are using an alfa romeo julietta!!! really?can that get more lame? YES! 3 cars holding a plane from departing..and as one of the character notice it the plane is as big as a "planet"...please don't spend your money on this piece of s**t,the movie is very predictable,boring,and THE ROCK..he is stunning,just standing there looking like a big bag of muscles,acting stupid and beeing passionate about it..at the end i tought there will be a big kiss between him and Vin Diesel :))
Ps: if you enjoyed this movie i also recomend to you THE SMURFS!

Bayern crowned Champions League winners

..Bayern Munich were crowned CL winners last night,after a dramatic win in the last 2 minutes of the game,ended 2-1 against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund.
The German team are now behind only Real Madrid CF – the most recent of whose nine triumphs came in 2002 – and AC Milan, who lifted the trophy for a seventh time in 2007, in the overall standings. Bayern are level with Liverpool FC, who claimed their fifth title with a memorable win against Milan two years earlier. Wembley marked the Munich outfit's tenth final, fewer than just Madrid and Milan.
European Cup victories by team 
9 Real Madrid CF 
7 AC Milan 
5 Liverpool FC  
5 FC Bayern München  
4 FC Barcelona 
4 AFC Ajax  
3 FC Internazionale Milano
3 Manchester United FC 
2 SL Benfica  
2 Juventus  
2 Nottingham Forest FC 
2 FC Porto 
1 Borussia Dortmund 
1 Celtic FC 
1 Hamburger SV  
1 FC Steaua București 
1 Olympique de Marseille  
1 Chelsea FC  
1 Feyenoord  
1 Aston Villa FC  
1 PSV Eindhoven 
1 FK Crvena zvezda

The German side's victory against Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund in London alleviates some of the disappointment of the 2012 showpiece, when Bayern went down on penalties to Chelsea FC at their own Fußball Arena München. Only AC Milan had previously been able to shrug off the setback of a final defeat to claim the trophy 12 months later. The Rossoneri succumbed to Olympique de Marseille in the first final of the UEFA Champions League era in 1993, yet famously beat FC Barcelona 4-0 the next season. Indeed, Milan were finalists once more in 1995 but lost out to AFC Ajax.

Jupp Heynckes said FC Bayern München's Wembley win was reward for an "outstanding" season at home and abroad, while Jürgen Klopp's sadness was soon replaced by pride.
Jupp Heynckes, Bayern coach
"What we've achieved so far this season – because it's not over yet, we still have the German Cup final next weekend – has been outstanding. There's never been a Bundesliga team that's consistently played at such a high level, winning the championship by 25 points, breaking almost all records."

Jürgen Klopp, Dortmund coach
"I have to say congratulations to Bayern, of course – congratulations to Jupp Heynckes, I really think he deserves this trophy. It was a close match and at one point it was so open we could have won it. Our defensive work was incredibly good and that helped us to keep the game open. There were a few things we might have done differently, but in the end Bayern scored twice and us once. I've seen all the Champions League finals recently and not one of them finished without the result being in doubt at some point."

Arjen Robben, Bayern forward
"Unbelievable, [I'm] so happy. I think it's difficult to describe all the feelings [I] have at the moment, but I am very proud, proud to be part of this team. And yes, to finally win this Champions League, that's a dream come true. You can't describe it – so many emotions go through your head, especially because you know what it is like to lose. I think you can enjoy it even more when you win the title.This is the perfect season, and we can finish it off next week. If we win the cup final, then [we] win the treble, and I think that's our target. But I think for everybody tonight was the most important one, and I think now we can celebrate."
Congrats to Bayern,they had indeed a perfect season till now,beating barcelona with 7-0,winning Bundesliga by 25 points ahead rivals BVB,and now beeing crowned CL winners,they have only left the Pokal cup final,set to be played next weekend against Stuttgart.
PS: I only had a big problem in this great final match of the competition and that is why wasn't Dante sent off when he committed the penalty?!

vineri, 24 mai 2013

Champions League final countdown

..Wembley is the stage for an all-German occasion as Borussia Dortmund meet FC Bayern München in the UEFA Champions League final.

• Bayern will arrive in London determined to erase the pain of losing last season's final at their home stadium. Having also lost the 2010 showpiece, the Bavarian side will be hoping to get the better of a Dortmund team they have already beaten to this season's Bundesliga title.

• Bayern, seeking their fifth European crown, beat FC Barcelona convincingly in the semi-finals but Jürgen Klopp's enterprising Dortmund outfit overcame Real Madrid CF in the last four and are bidding to repeat their 1997 triumph in their only previous UEFA Champions League final appearance.

• The clubs have met in 100 competitive fixtures with 45 wins for Bayern, 26 for Dortmund and 29 draws.
• Bayern are unbeaten against Dortmund in four meetings in 2012/13, including 1-1 home and away draws in the Bundesliga. On 1 December in Munich, Mario Götze (74) cancelled out a Toni Kroos (67) goal, while in Dortmund on 4 May, Bayern's Mario Gomez (23) wiped out Kevin Grosskreutz's 11th-minute effort in a fixture where Rafinha was sent off.

• Bayern's biggest Bundesliga win was an 11-1 defeat of Dortmund in 1971/72 in which Uli Hoeness, now club president, scored twice.
• This is the fourth UEFA Champions League final between teams from the same country. Real Madrid beat Valencia CF in 2000, Milan overcame Juventus in 2003, and Manchester United FC beat Chelsea FC in 2008. Of the three winning teams only United had finished above their final victims in their domestic championship.

• Dortmund fans will hope history is about to repeat itself. In 1997 when they won the UEFA Champions League following two seasons as German champions, Bayern had just reclaimed the Bundesliga trophy and Stuttgart won the German Cup. Bayern have already won this season's German title and face Stuttgart in the Cup final on 1 June.
• Götze will join Bayern from Dortmund on 1 July. In 2009 Hummels made the opposite journey, signing for Dortmund after two seasons in Munich.
Even if Bayern are the big favourites,i hope Dortmund will score,and play a great match..my bet for this game is a goal scored by Lewandowski one by T. Muller and the final score BVB 1-2  Bayern.

joi, 23 mai 2013

La vita e bella / Life is beautiful



..are you out of good movies? well why don't you try something from '97!Ok,so this is italian,you may say,don't worry it is subtitled!
I first saw it in '97 at the cinema,and i have seen it a few times more,since then..
 This is  a comedy about the Holocaust. I think many of you can find that the concept of the Holocaust portrayed as a comedy to be offensive. Others may believe that it belittled the experiences of the Holocaust by inferring the horrors that could be ignored by the simple game. I, too, thought, how a comedy about the Holocaust could possibly be done well?  It can,and this is proof!!!

What is it about?


In this WW II tragicomedy, famed Italian funnyman Roberto Benigni (The Monster) portrays Guido, who moves during the '30s from the country to a Tuscan town, where he is entranced by schoolteacher Dora (Nicoletta Braschi, Benigni's real-life wife). Dora likes Guido, but she remains faithful to her pompous fiancé, so Guido has an uphill struggle. Meanwhile, anti-Semitic attitudes lead to attacks against Guido's Jewish uncle (Giustino Durano). Leaping ahead to five years later, during WW II, Guido and Dora are married and have a son Giosue (Giorgio Cantarini). After they are imprisoned in a concentration camp, Guido goes to elaborate lengths to keep his son from understanding the truth of their situation. He tells the boy that they are competing with others to win an armored tank -- so everything from food shortages to tattoos is explained as necessary for participation in the contest.

The movie has Ratings: 8.5/10 from 213,426 users on IMDB
ENJOY!

miercuri, 22 mai 2013

Book of the week: Death in the afternoon by Ernest Hemingway

..is a non-fiction book written by Ernest Hemingway about the ceremony and traditions of Spanish bullfighting, published in 1932. The book provides a look at the history and what Hemingway considers the magnificence of bullfighting. It also contains a deeper contemplation on the nature of fear and courage.
Why bullfighting?
Because this is "the only place where you could see life and death, i. e., violent death now that the wars were over, was in the bull ring and I wanted very much to go to Spain where I could study it. I was trying to learn to write, commencing with the simplest things, and one of the simplest things of all and the most fundamental is violent death."

Still considered one of the best books ever written about bullfighting, "Death in the Afternoon" is an impassioned look at the sport by one of its true aficionados. It reflects Hemingway's conviction that bullfighting was more than mere sport and reveals a rich source of inspiration for his art. The unrivaled drama of bullfighting, with its rigorous combination of athleticism and artistry, and its requisite display of grace under pressure, ignited Hemingway's imagination. Here he describes and explains the technical aspects of this dangerous ritual and "the emotional and spiritual intensity and pure classic beauty that can be produced by a man, an animal, and a piece of scarlet serge draped on a stick." Seen through his eyes, bullfighting becomes a richly choreographed ballet, with performers who range from awkward amateurs to masters of great elegance and cunning.
A fascinating look at the history and grandeur of bullfighting, "Death in the Afternoon" is also a deeper contemplation of the nature of cowardice and bravery, sport and tragedy, and is enlivened throughout by Hemingway's sharp commentary on life and literature.


Ernest Hemingway

Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American author and journalist. His economical and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the mid-1950s, and won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. He published seven novels, six short story collections, and two non-fiction works. Three novels, four collections of short stories, and three non-fiction works were published posthumously. Many of these are considered classics of American literature.

marți, 21 mai 2013

X-BOX ONE is here!!!


Microsoft's New Console

It's been eight years and nine days since Microsoft showed the world the Xbox 360 on May 12th, 2005. Today, we see what's next. The Xbox One.
Microsoft can only hope it's half as right as it was last time around. The 360 was built to last. That eight-year stretch of dominance makes it the oldest of the current generation of systems, and the last to be cast off in favor of a new system. Over that time the Xbox has picked up new features, like the Kinect motion sensor and ever more media streaming capabilities, but its core has remained the same.
My first thought, honestly, is how boxy it is. In 2010, Microsoft released a “slim” version of the Xbox 360 that was literally streamlined, with a curvilinear X-shaped form that made its predecessor feel clumsy in comparison. The Xbox One is a bit bigger than the 360 and as rectangular as it gets. It’s not without its flourishes, though. It’s a deep, glossy black that the industrial design team calls liquid black. The top of the console is subdivided into two 16:9 rectangles, derived from the traditional aspect ratio of widescreen televisions—one is solid and glossy, the other a matte panel that’s entirely vented to help as much air pass through the system as possible. The front is nearly without embellishment; even the optical disc drive slot blends into the frontpiece of the box.


All-in-One Entertainment


We're underway, and the intro video for the new Xbox has users saying that the new Xbox is going to "recognize my name, my voice, my movies" and know what you like. That's a big cue that this generation is going to focus heavily on entertainment. Don Mattrick, President of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft, says that Xbox 360 is leading the industry in entertainment, because gamers are quick to adopt new tech.

The focus for the next gen is going to focus on different types of content, and use new tech, like cloud interfacing and streaming. It's the all-in-one home entertainment system.


New Controls


The console turns on just from you saying "Xbox on". It will launch into what you were doing last. This passive listening is a huge deal for natural interface. It seems incredibly responsive in the demo, but for now it's unclear if this is an actual demo or if it's being simulated.

It also integrates right into your TV. "Xbox, watch TV" drops you right into a live television feed. The amazing part of this is that you can switch quickly from movies, TV, games, a browser or anything else, just by saying "Xbox, go to", or even just "Go to movies".


Two at Once


You can also use Windows 8's snap mode (with one app "snapped" to the side of the screen" to run another app on the side of the screen while your movie, or TV or game is playing. This is kind of an amazing addition, not just for browsing movies while watching one, like an onscreen IMDB, which is what the demo is showing, but you can also, say, snap a walkthrough for a game you're playing.

Oh, and Skype! You can use Skype while watching a movie or playing a game, too.


New Kinect


The new Kinect has a 1080p sensor, and captures videos at 60fps and far finer detection. It detects the twist of a wrist, or how balanced you are. it can read your heartbeat while watching you exercise. This is next level stuff. The sensor field is expanded by 60 percent, and uses a modulated IR beam, and uses "time-of-flight" tech to measure the time it takes photos to travel back to the Kinect. Microsoft claims it works in complete darkness.

The controller has a ton of new features, too, like the ability for designers to send feedback right into the triggers.

SmartGlass also gets a ton of upgrades, because it's going to be treated as a native part of the platform, and not just an add-on, as it previously was.

Xbox Live is getting a massive overhaul as well. It currently runs on 15,000 servers, but it's going to go to 300,000 this year. Insane. You'll be able to access your movies, music, games, and saves from anywhere. The Xbox One is NOT always online. But developers will be able to use Microsoft's Azure computing (perform rendering tasks remotely), which would require even single player games to be online if those are used. Those aren't mandatory, but Microsoft hopes developers use them.


EA Partnership


EA's making an effort to use the new innovations from Microsoft and Xbox Live especially with a roster of new titles. FIFA 14, Madden 25, NBA Live 14, and UFC will all launch in the next 12 months, and EA promises that they will all change the way you play. They'll be powered by a new game engine called EA Sports Ignite, unveiled today.

EA Sports Ignite is supposed to make decision making and contextual contact more realistic. It will supposedly have 10 times more animation detail, called "True Player Motion", and the crowds are 3D, with dynamic sidelines. Basically, everything's going to look even more realistic.

Oh, and FIFA 14's Ultimate Team mode, the most popular mode, is exclusive to the new Xbox.

Here you have some trailers and teasers of what you are about to see on this new-gen console:



It looks good,waiting for the Sony team to respond at this in a few weeks at the E3 convention!







vineri, 17 mai 2013

Sweet,crunchy and refreshing dessert

..the weekend is almoust here,the sun is shining,so i decided to present you a very good,easy to make dessert..so on the shopping list,here is what you need: vanilla ice cream,some corn flakes(mine are with honey) 1/2kg of strawberries,biscuits,and a chocolate bar(i used lion)

..first thing to do after you have all the ingredients,is to put 1/2 kg of icecream and almous 1/2 kg of the strawberries in the blender,mix them until there aren't any solid parts,and put it all in a plastic casserol and into the freezer for a few hours,until it is in a more solid stage.

After the mix is gets more solid,prepare everything so you cand do this fast,we don't want the ice cream to melt! ps: I picked from the garden and a few mint leaves.

put everything in layers,1 the icecream and strawberry mix,2 some corn flakes,3 the chocolate bar,break it  into small pieces ,4 vanilla ice cream, 5 cramble some biscuits , 6 a few full strawberry with 1 or 2 leaves of mint cutted in small pieces..repeat the layers until the glass gets full..and on top,combine the 2 icecreams for a cooler look!

Here you have it!and trust me,everyone will love it!it is sweet,it is crunchy,it has caramel from the lion bar,it is bitter from the strawberrys,and refreshing from the mint! ;)



                                                        Enjoy the weekend!!!

joi, 16 mai 2013

Fruitvale station

..I don't know how many of you have heard of the Sundance festival, is an American film festival that takes place annually in Utah and  it is one of the largest independent film festivals in the United States.
To be honest i first heard about it from Entourage.

This year's big winner is "Fruitvile station" a based on true events movie that presents  the true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident who wakes up on the morning of December 31, 2008 and feels something in the air. Not sure what it is, he takes it as a sign to get a head start on his resolutions: being a better son to his mother, whose birthday falls on New Year's Eve, being a better partner to his girlfriend, who he hasn't been completely honest with as of late, and being a better father to T, their beautiful 4 year old daughter. He starts out well, but as the day goes on, he realizes that change is not going to come easy. He crosses paths with friends, family, and strangers, each exchange showing us that there is much more to Oscar than meets the eye. But it would be his final encounter of the day, with police officers at the Fruitvale BART station that would shake the Bay Area to its very core, and cause the entire nation to be witnesses to the story of Oscar Grant.

Fruitvile station trailer
In my opinion the movie looks intresting,good,strong story and i'm very eager to see it!

RO:

.. Nu știu câți dintre voi au auzit de festival Sundance, este un festival de film american, care are loc anual în Utah și este una dintre cele mai mari festivaluri de film independent din Statele Unite.
Pentru a fi sincer am auzit prima data despre el de la Entourage.

Marele castigator din acest an este "Stația Fruitvile" care are la baza o poveste adevarata iar filmul prezinta povestea adevărată a lui Oscar, un 22 de ani, Bay Area rezident care se trezește în dimineața zilei de 31 decembrie 2008 și se simte ceva în aer. Nu sunt sigur ce este, el este nevoie ca un semn pentru a obține un cap începe pe rezoluțiile sale: a fi un fiu mai bun pentru mama sa, a cărui zi de naștere cade în ajunul Anului Nou, fiind un partener mai bun pentru prietena lui, care nu are a fost complet sincer cu drept de întârziere, și de a fi un tată mai bun pentru T, an frumos fiica lor de 4 ani. El pornește de bine, dar, ca în ziua merge mai departe, el își dă seama că schimbarea nu va veni ușor. El traversează trasee cu prietenii, familia, și străini, fiecare schimb ne arată că există mult mai mult la Oscar decât îndeplinește ochi. Dar ar fi întâlnirea finală a zilei, cu ofițeri de poliție de la stația de BART Fruitvale care ar zgudui Bay Area la centrul ei, și cauza întregii națiuni de a fi martori la povestea lui Oscar Grant.

marți, 14 mai 2013

Book of the week:"The favorite game" by Leonard Cohen

Leonard Cohen

 ..is a Canadian  singer-songwriter, musician, poet, and novelist. His work often explores religion, isolation, sexuality, and interpersonal relationships.
Cohen was born on 21 September 1934 in Westmount, an English-speaking area of Montreal, Quebec, into a middle-class Jewish family.
Cohen's writing process, as he told an interviewer in 1998, is "like a bear stumbling into a beehive or a honey cache: I'm stumbling right into it and getting stuck, and it's delicious and it's horrible and I'm in it and it's not very graceful and it's very awkward and it's very painful and yet there's something inevitable about it."
He is best known for his music,and one of the greatest song he ever made and interpreted is "in my secret life"



The favourite game

 ..is the first novel by Leonard Cohen. It was first published in the fall of 1963.
The apearence of the book was delayed because his publisher  was concerned about the autobiographical content and found the novel to be tedious and preoccupied with sex. He suggested major revisions, without guaranteeing publication once those revisions were made.
Cohen placed the book with publishers in England and America who requested a shorter length, so he cut the book in half. He wrote "anyone with an ear will know I've torn apart orchestras to arrive at my straight, melodic line."

The Favourite Game is a semi- autobiographical work. Humour is something most people don’t associate with Leonard Cohen but this book has it (mostly in the first part). What I first found striking about the book was the short chapters, more like vignettes almost like poems connecting the dots of the story. Not having grown up in 1950’s Canada I can only guess that Cohen’s depiction of it during Breavman’s childhood was on the mark.

The characters in this book don’t come to life easily, it is as if they have a soul but it is just half alive and thus do not jump off the page. Cohen’s writing commands a powerful atmosphere at times, however this is not constant, it merely comes and goes. 

Cohen is a master of subtlety,he can descibe things without mention them or anything blatantly related to it. At the time of writing The Favourite Game, Cohen was 28 or 29, however his recall of the frustrations experienced by many adolescent boys that girls their own age develop faster and thus prefer to date older males appears very fresh. Throughout the novel Cohen writes a lot about the body in both similes, metaphors and descriptions. It is clear that the body has held high significance for Cohen throughout his life and writings. Pick from any section of Cohen’s writing life; poetry, the novels or lyrics and you will find various homages to the human body especially the female form. He worships it like a religion.

The book raised two incredibly fascinating and essential questions in the examination of life and ourselves. Can some things about ourselves be too deep for us to discover? And. Can we only just ever scratch the surface of who we are?


Cohen himself said “If you hold an artist special to you, you will appreciate their early work as well as latter work.” when I started reading this book I found myself slightly pressured to like this book because Cohen is a great artist and luckily I managed to dispel this feeling and became unbiased in my judgement of this work. It was not an easy read but it is rewarding nonetheless.


RO: .. Este primul roman al lui Leonard Cohen. Acesta a fost publicat pentru prima dată în toamna anului 1963.
Apariția cărții a fost amânată pentru că editorul său a fost preocupat de conținut autobiografic și deoarece acesta putea fi plictisitor și cu prea mare tenta sexuala. El a sugerat revizuiri majore, fără a garanta publicarea odată ce s-au făcut aceste revizuiri.
Cohen a dus cartea la editori din Anglia și America care au solicitat o lungime mai mică, așa că a tăiat cartea în două. El a scris "pentru cineva cu o ureche să știi că am sfâșiat orchestre pentru a ajunge la linia mea dreaptă, melodica."

Jocul favorit este o lucrare semi-autobiografică. Umorul este ceva ce majoritatea oamenilor nu asociază cu Leonard Cohen, dar această carte are (mai ales în prima parte). Ceea ce am găsit în primul rând izbitoar despre cartea a fost de capitole scurte, mai mult ca viniete aproape ca poezii cu conectare prin puncte de poveste. Nu am crescut în 1950,in Canada insa pot presupune numai că descrierea lui Cohen de ea în timpul copilăriei lui Breavman a fost pe masura. 

Personajele din această carte nu vin la viață ușor, este ca și cum acestea au un suflet, dar este doar pe jumătate viu și, astfel, nu sar de pe pagina. Scrisul lui Cohen creaza o atmosferă puternica uneori, însă acest lucru nu este constant, ea pur și simplu vine si pleaca.

Cohen este un maestru de subtilitate, poate descrie ceva fara a folosi cuvântul sau nimic ostentativ legate de acesta. La momentul scrierii "Joaca preferata", Cohen avea de 28 sau 29 de ani, însă regasirea in multe pasaje, din frustrările si experienta a baietilor adolescenti si regretele  ca fetele de vârsta lor se dezvolta mai rapid și, astfel, acestea preferă bărbați mai în vârstă par foarte proaspete. De-a lungul romanului Cohen scrie o mulțime de lucruri despre corpul în ambele similitudini, metafore și descrieri. Este clar că organismul a avut loc o semnificație mare pentru Cohen pe tot parcursul vieții și scrierile lui. Alege din orice secțiune a vieții scris Cohen, poezia, romanele sau versuri și veți găsi diferite omagii la corpul uman in special sub forma de sex feminin. El se închină ca o religie.

Cartea a ridicat două întrebări incredibil de fascinante și esențial în examinarea de viață și de noi înșine. Pot unele lucruri despre noi înșine să fie prea profunde pentru noi, pentru a le descoperi? Și. Putem abia zgâria vreodată suprafața a celor care suntem?


Cohen insusi a spus: "Dacă ai un artist special pentru tine,  vei aprecia munca lor la inceput, precum si din urmă." Când am început să citesc această carte, m-am trezit puțin presați să-i placă această carte, deoarece Cohen este deja un mare artist,din fericire, am reușit să risipeasc acest sentiment și am devenit imparțial în judecata mea . Nu a fost o citire ușoară, dar este plină de satisfacții.

duminică, 12 mai 2013

SOM CAMPEONES!!!


Is the league title number 22 of FC Barcelona in the history of this competition. Coincidences of life, the same number on his jersey Abidal looks since joining the club.
This title crowns the endless effort of these players!
Tonight the team is playing against Atletico Madrid,in a game with no real stake,so the players should be relaxed and willing to embrace this trophy with a victory! 

Champions on and off the pitch

The league title has a particularly sweet taste for Tito Vilanova and Eric Abidal, two men who have had to do battle to overcome a terrible illness.
The Barça coach suffered a relapse of the tumour for which he underwent surgery in 2011. He was forced to return to New York to be treated for his condition. For over two months the team was left in the hands of his second in command, Jordi Roura. Eric Abidal made his comeback against Real Mallorca, a year on after surviving a liver transplant in what was the most important victory in his life so far..

Este titlul cu nr-ul 22 castigat de FC Barcelona în istoria acestei competiții. Coincidente de viață, același număr il poarta pe tricoul său si Abidal care a revenit in acest sezon la club.
Acest titlu încununează efortul nesfârșit a acestor jucători!
In seara asta echipa joacă împotriva celor de la  Atletico Madrid, într-un joc cu nici o miză reală, astfel încât jucătorii trebuie să fie relaxat și dispuși să îmbrățișeze acest trofeu cu o victorie!


Campioni pe si in afara terenului

Titlul de campion are un gust deosebit de dulce pentru Tito Vilanova și Eric Abidal, doi oameni care au avut să se lupte pentru a depăși o boală teribilă.
Antrenorul Barçei a suferit o recidiva a tumorii pentru care a fost operat în 2011. El a fost forțat să se întoarcă la New York pentru a fi tratat pentru starea lui. De mai bine de două luni, echipa a fost lăsată în mâinile al doilea la comandă, Jordi Roura. Eric Abidal a făcut revenirea lui cu Real Mallorca, un an după ce au supravietuit unui transplant de ficat în ceea ce a fost cea mai importantă victorie din viața sa de până acum ..