Jason Brooks’ pictures are incredibly popular and are especially willingly used at avatars. As there’s nothing more pleasant than to hide beyond glamour image and even if just a bit feel one of the celestials.

Jason Brooks has been keen on paper-drawing from his childhood. Now he uses Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and of course Mac G4 at drawing. In his early forties he’s one of the most eminent illustrators of the world. Having become popular after creating flaers for the London club Pusha, Jason Brooks executes the orders of Vogue, Elle, Sunday Times, The Face, Coca-Cola, Nike, Smart Cars and the others. His graphical works also adorn all the discs, put on the market under Hed Kandi label, which specializes in producing light dance music, the spirits of which is well-matched with Brooks’ pictures.
You may enjoy Brook’s works and even buy any you’d like on his official site.

"My name’s Stobbart- George Stobbart. That’s two b's and two t's" (George)

Among the bazillion of quest or adventure games I’ve already played, my favorites are the first two parts:Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars и Broken Sword II: The Smoking Mirror. These games are so good that once or twice a year I try to play them once again. The graphics is perfect (even taking into account that now it’s 2006), the scoring is supreme, mysterious music appears and disappears now and then, sound effects are thoroughly selected (do you remember the sound of water with all sorts of rubbish quietly splashing in Marseille dock – those who live by the river and pop at the wharf or boat-station will understand me), the plot is great – all this swallows you up, making you catch the blast from the very fact of presence in this game. And George Stobbart, always cheerful blockhead lawyer, the favorite of the aged ladies, evokes my great sympathy. That also makes a deal.

"I'd love to, but right now I'm trying to save the world" (George)

I’ve never been to Paris, but I’d love to go there in warm autumn, when the foliage is starting to become red-and-yellow, find unknown Rue Jarry street and Montfaucon square, where Templars were executed (my friends, who visit Paris rather often, fail to find it), and sit there in a small cozy café.

“What about personal safety? Can’t you at least give me some advice?” (Stobbart before leaving the cafe)
"Don’t cross the road until the little man shows green!" (Moue’s answer)

My most favorite and cozy location is Villa de Vasconcellos on the sea-shore in Spain - luxuriant verdure, a new house "only 300 years old", and the land-lady, straight as the stick old woman with Spanish temper and coal eyes.

Ketcha Island in the Caribbean Sea is the best for me in the second part.
With the help of a wonderful ScummVM program it has become possible to run Broken Sword at any platform. Thank them very much!

And now, in the evenings, I make myself comfortable in the soft armchair under the palm tree and play Broken Sword on my iBook with MacOS operating system; I play the game, written for PC and enjoy the process.

At this point I gonna finish. Perhaps someone, who hasn’t fortunately played Broken Sword yet, but likes quests, will appreciate my delights choosing the game to play further.

Majority of people read "Jane Eyre" novel when aged approximately at 12, that’s why I won’t write anything about it. I’ll only say, that now I’m 28, I read the novel a month ago and I liked it so much, that I had to watch the movie, about which I’m writing at the moment. If something also prevented you from reading the book, try to do it now.

Though, I can’t help adding one comment. It concerns Mr. Rochester (the main character): he possesses one feature, distinguishing him from any other classical character of this genre. A typical love-novel main hero is usually a cynical taciturn green (or any other color)-eyed brunet. The hero’s cynicism and eyes may really seem to be attractive, but what concerns taciturnity… I suppose it’s the result of vise-versa impossibility. When the hero starts his discourse, we hear only rubbish, and all his charm turns to dust.
That’s why he’s usually obliged to commit a pair of deeds, according to which we can judge of his nobility and strong moral principles; meanwhile comments to the action should be revealed in a cramped and smooth form in order not to spoil the impression. It’ll be even better to withhold comments up to the final scene of offering the lady his hand and heart and die, or at least wait for the answer silently. In short, I’m writing it all to say that Mr. Rochester is not a man of this kind. In "Rochester-Jane Eyre" alliance it is he who is constantly speaking, managing to leave a very positive impression about himself at the same time; while the majority of his deeds seem to be rather doubtful. I mean that the power of his words charm Jane and also the reader. All this seems to be a very serious author’s achievement for me (an amateur literary critic, but a great lover of romantic stories).

That’s all, not a word about the novel. After all, plenty of volumes have been written on this theme, and my aim was to write a brief report about BBC miniseries, shot in 1983; the series, which according to IMDb, is considered to be the best novel screen version up to nowadays.

Nevertheless, my first impression after the watching was middling, that’s why I suggest start with criticizing the movie.

When the movie was still the miniseries, it consisted of 11 half-an-hour series, while now it’s sold as a single (though a bit reduced) whole, lasting for a bit longer than 4 hours; i.e. all the series are joined into one whole and the variant we’ve got is approximately an hour shorter. All this makes the narration dynamics rather strange. Each half an hour there happens one very emotional scene, the aim of which is to finish one more seria and make us long for the continuation; but the intervals are rather blurred. Besides, the film seems to be reduced at the expense of its second part, as it looks completely sketchy. It would be interesting to watch it as "a whole" perhaps it would have made the impression better. The following shots are lacking in the variant I’ve got:

The second point is that the action partially reminds not the movie, but the TV-play. I don’t know about the others, but it’s an annoying factor for me. By the way, both actors, playing the main roles (I mean Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clarke) have come to the movie world from the theatre.

And, finally, there is some confusion in the film, rather funny indeed. For example, after the fire-scene in Mr. Rochester’s room, Jane, all so romantic, departs to her room to spend the rest of the night in Mr. Rochester’s cloak; and in the morning she meets R. in this very clothing. Mind that they are concealing the fact of night meeting from everyone, haven’t seen each other after it, and no single servant could have passed this cloak to the master without suspecting of anything. (The idea was taken from here).

Here the main criticism is over; it’s high time to start praising.

First of all, selection of the actors for the main roles is great. Jane Eyre in Zelah Clark’s performance is a wonderful and very organic creature. The only rebuke in her address I’ve ever met, is that she’s too nice, while Jane in the novel called herself plane. Well, firstly, Jane Eyre could have rather low opinion about her own appearance; secondly, Zelah Clark is surely not Isabel Adjani. So I suggest not taking this failing into account. The thing I really appreciated is the interpretation of Jane’s character. The book left the impression that Jane is serious and reserved; while Z.C. managed to make Jane absolutely different: without changing any word, she made her charming and merry, though rather shy. Generally, the hit is direct.

I liked Timothy Dalton as Mr. Rochester less. Strictly speaking, his acting is good, but from time to time he "overdoes". Let us take, for example, his sobbing in the library after Jane leaves him. Besides he’s too handsome and can’t fail to know about it, - while women love Mr. Rochester only for money. Nevertheless I do recommend him to you. Some places are so well-read by him, that it expiates all the rest.

The second plus is the positivism of the perusal. All the troubles of Jane’s life are shown in a very brief way, and even Mr. Rochester is not awful, but quite all right in the end. This story is about love, and not about hardships and humiliations. This is also an undoubted plus.
Thirdly, the movie is very English according to its spirit. It’s constantly raining, or not raining at al, - but the weather is irreproachable. All of them are drinking tea, brought on typical English tea-trays by typical English maids. Everybody is looking through the windows at typical English landscapes, brightened up with no color correction. No one is in a hurry, except the producer in the movie’s fourth part. Thornfield, the castle, where the main part of the action is taking place, seems to be very stern (as it should be) outside, and very cozy inside. I was completely charmed with the stage, when Jane gets to the castle for the first time.

Perhaps, something else should be added about the rest of the actors, but nothing comes to my mind. Two main heroes, appearing on the screen for the major time-period, are the basis of the movie; it makes all other actors stay in the background and doesn’t give any impression of them. I liked the girl in the part of Jane as a child (Sian Pattenden), Judy Cornwell, acting as Mrs. Rid; I didn’t like sisters Mary and Diana (they’re not interesting), and, finally, Madam Rochester could have been made more frightful. She’s brilliantly described in the book – red eyes, blue face…. And here we see just a shaggy haired woman, not frightful at all.

Well, it’s high time to finish, that’s why here’s the conclusion:
As an independent creation the movie is not obligatory for watching, only if you’re a fan of Timothy Dalton or a great lover of romantic rubbish. But do watch it as the screen version of your favorite novel. Everything concealed behind the shot is supposed to be known by the viewer. And everything you’ll see is a perfect picture-addition to the book. As for me, I like well illustrated books.

The story of the actress Zelah Clarke
About the series on the official Timothy Dalton site

I fail to know exact number of youths, committing suicides. And don’t want to. Anyway, statistics lies. I don’t believe all these dead numbers, coldly showing with which periodicity young people decide to farewell.

Last Saturday there were funerals. In one Moscow school. One senior pupil cut his veins. Not “just because”, but pompously: candles all around him, some Novocain before the “action” to feel no pain. The result was definitely positive.

I’m writing these lines and feel some mixture of anger, despair and fear. That guy was no one for me, I even didn’t know him – just a pupil of the school my mum works at. And in principle I should stay absolutely indifferent as it’s not my business first of all, and secondly, the less irritable I become, the better I sleep. But you know, something disturbs, disturbs to so, that I feel desire to share.

I have two children; thank God, too small to understand things like that. But children do grow up. And I’m afraid. Stupid as it may seem I’m really afraid that in spite of all possible love and care, my son or my daughter can hypothetically do something of the kind.

Russia is a paradoxical country. Mostly we are people with bare asses and bare souls. Bare in all meanings. I can’t say for other countries, surely they also suffer from many kinds of problems. I can speak about our situation from my personal “motherly” point of view. At the age of four my son, like many other children of his age, watches TV and not only cartoons or documentary. It’s evident. I think many mothers understand what I’m hinting at. Right. Blood and dead bodies do not frighten him very much. I’m not speaking about horror films, no. Just ordinary TV news summary.

And he accepts it all. Today in a very natural manner, but I’m not sure about his “someday” reaction. Our sub-consciousness is a tricky thing.

If I could, I would ask those youths who had already “departed”, what made them act so. Surely I’m not lonely in my desire. I feel so sorry for them all… I do understand that there are some circumstances, seeming to be unbearable and insoluble. I understand that black and white are two main gradations for teens and these two colors cover all aspects. And I won’t moan that parents and friends will possibly blame themselves for the irretrievable loss. It’s clear without words. I just ask, please, don’t. I’m not and old bag, preaching. I’m only 26. And you know what, only several years ago, perhaps, when my first kid was born, I felt how precious a single life is. Perhaps, the soul is immortal, but don’t deprive your poor body of LIFE. DEATH is thousand times worse.

I could possibly write continuously, but let me stop. Just LIVE your LIFE and don’t let anyone and anything rob you of it.

Author .::. Ninka

Electricity and hot water have been cut off in our house from the very morning today, thus preventing me from doing all usual routine work. That’s why I took a blank notebook and started fulfilling the promise I gave to Mazoo, - writing about Jane Eyre miniseries.

I’ll speak in a roundabout way, beginning with the author. It’s well-known that “Jane Eyre” novel was written by one of three Brontë sisters, to be correct - the eldest one. But not everyone knows that the number of sisters was more. There were five of them not including one brother. Brontë father was a rural pastor during all his life. Their mother, Maria Branwell Brontë, passed away after giving birth to the sixth child. Charlotte was five years than. The children were brought up by their aunt, the father’s sister. No one knows anything about this woman, but it’s a common knowledge that in four years after their mother’s death eight-year old Charlotte together with two elder sisters Maria and Elizabeth and the youngest Emily were sent to the Clergy Daughters’ School. As far as I understand it was a charitable institution.

Due to the conditions in this school, which were very miserable according to the grave consequences, Charlotte becomes the eldest child in the family, as Maria and Elizabeth die of typhus and tuberculosis, getting the infection in the period of studying. Now the following table is hanging on the wall of the building, where the school was located:


One shouldn’t be very penetrating for guessing the source of Jane Eyre’s first part story origin. Brontë aunt became a prototype for Mrs. Reed; Clergy Daughters’ School - Lowood, the elder sister Mary – Helen Burns (the first friend of young Jane Eyre).

The first 94 pages of the novel (I mean the edition I’ve got) became the result of this sorrowful life-experience. Unfortunately all the troubles of a little girl are true.

Still, the point is that just as Jane Eyre Charlotte Brontë endured much at this charitable school. Up to this point the destiny of the author and the main heroine are very much alike, but then different wonders and amazing adventures, finally leading Jane Eyre to happiness, rush into her life; meanwhile Charlotte Brontë’s life goes on in trials and tribulations. Here are brief milestones of her further fortune: at the age of 15 Emily spent two years at Miss Wooler’s Boarding School. There she continued working as a teacher for some time, and then was a governess in a family for three years. When she was 26, together with Emily she left for Brussels in order to study French and German. They say this trip became a turning point for her. All the impressions got by this country-girl in such a great European city, changed her mentality completely. As a consequence, her literal approach (it’s known that all the Brontë children went in for storey-writing from the very childhood) also changed, - not her imagination (as it used to be earlier), but real life-experience became the basis of her novels. Besides, the owner of the pensionnat they lived in turned out to be rather cool; so Charlotte fell in love with him and made him the prototype for Mr. Rochester. In spite of the fact that he was married, had five children and took only a liking to Charlotte, she honored him by immortalizing in the novel. Though, this entire story unfortunately brought her nothing but broken heart.

In 1846 (Charlotte was already 30) the sisters (Charlotte, Emily and Ann, the youngest) published joint collection of poetry under the assumed male names, thus beginning their literary career. I should notice that this book became a failure (only two copies were sold), but nevertheless the start was made. Charlotte was the luckiest, as her Jane Eyre , published in 1847, immediately became a success.
And now I’ll have to tell you about the saddest. As I’ve already written, Bronte sister had a brother, Branwell, who was their beloved and most talented of them. When he grew up, just as his sisters, he had to work as a teacher for earning his living. But evidently the things went all wrong as he got into a pretty mess, took to drinking and opium and died in 1848. In a month after his death Emily died of tuberculosis and in four months the same illness slayed Ann.

This poem was written by Charlotte after Ann’s death. Surely it’s sad. It’s possible to imagine how it all happened.

Charlotte stayed alone with her father, who was broken-down with all the troubles. She continued her literary career, publishing two more novels, - "Shirley" (1848) and “Vilette” (1853). One more novel, “The Professor”, was published in 1857 after her death.

At the age of 39 she got married to a rural pastor, her father’s successor, Mr. Arthur Nicholls. But her happiness didn’t last long. No sooner than in half a year, being pregnant for 5 months, she died of galloping consumption. It happened on March, 3, in 1855.

If you got interested with my muddled narration, you may continue reading yourself:

The Life of Charlotte Bronte by Elizabeth Gaskell.
Brontes Chronology
Jane Eire
Great number of other info about the sisters, their novels and all that jazz

My aim was to describe not the troubles of Charlotte Bronte, but to cover the topic of Jane Eire’s personage appearance and the fact that everything in the novel is great and positive. I hope that tomorrow I’ll write about the novel and serial (which, let me remind you, became the whys and wherefores of my writing).

TO BE CONTINUED. . .

Author .::. 4zy

I was very fond of cooking black bread and eggs before, and not long ago I found another very original recipe.

So, we’ll need two whole black bread slices and two eggs. Our task is to cut out a right-angled bread-crumb from the slice, indenting a pair of centimeters from the crust. Then we should fry the crust frame on one side, turn it over and break the eggs into it.

Add salt and pepper (and some seasoning if you wish). Cover the frying pan with a lid for 3-4 minutes. I fried the bread-crumb on the same frying pan and put two cheese slices on it – thus I got not only black bread and eggs, but two cheese toasts.

Bon appetit!  

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That’s why “Pride and prejudice” movie of 1940, which together with “Pride and prejudice” of 2005 was long waiting for its fate; and for the dessert, - the 1995 BBC “Pride and prejudice” miniseries (which I’ve watched twice already) were no more shelved.

I was initially prejudiced against the latest version as it’s more than hard to improve cinematic P&P of 1995; besides Keira Knightley, starring as the main heroine Elizabeth Bennet, didn’t impress me much in the Pirates of the Caribbean. Though, from the very beginning I thought that Keira Knightley could turn out to be rather sweet and amiable Miss Bennet. It’s only a pity that the major part of literary sword-plays between Elizabeth and Darcy, which are 90% of the movie’s charm, are absolutely minimized.

As I haven’t recovered completely and it’s excusable for me to spend some time in a trifle way, let’s carry out, so to say, comparative analysis of different versions cast, and what’s more important, the main characters of it. .

Elizabeth Bennet
1940 Greer Garson
1995 Jennifer Ehle
2005 Keira Knightley
Liz Bennet is a girl of a sharp mind and tongue, ironical, sincere and even straightforward. Elizabeth 1940 turned out to be more sarcastic, Lizzie 2005 – more naive. Jennifer Ehle is undoubtedly the best. The imps hide in the eyes of her Elizabeth; meanwhile it’s clearly seen that she’s a person of character. Liz-2005 can make a very pretty smiling face, over which she sometimes switches; but the rest of the time she’s a girl with an ablush face of bonny lass. Liz-1940 is in her element while barbed words-exchange, meanwhile Liz-1995 contrives both to joke and look a real lady; Liz-2005 sometimes straggles to teenage cheek side. In general, the first place is given to Jennifer Ehle.

Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy
1940 – Laurence Olivier
1995 – Colin Firth
2005 – Matthew Macfadyen
I really wanted to look at Mr. Darcy in Laurence Olivier’s performance. Taking into account that the 40-th year movie proved to be very light and funny; so to say, nearly a comedy, Darcy-Olivier is very good. Meanwhile Darcy 2005 is a very handsome young man with a lack of magnetism and inscrutability. His face is mainly wry; the eye-brows are arched; though the moment of mutual intent-looking in the church is surely good. But there’s no doubt that Darcy-1995 in the face of Colin Firth is the best. 5 miniseries episodes gave him the opportunity to show the development of feelings, which were overwhelming his character. In an effort of time-saving both Darcies 1940 and 2005 had to fall in love with Lizzie from the very first meeting, what led to a complete failure of the main intrigue and idea, - who’ll tell me where I can find pride and what for is prejudice in the film now?

Mr. Charles Bingley
Bingley 1940 is just a smart fellow, Bingley-1995 is a smiling kind young man, though being under the thumb of his sister (and friends); but Bingley 2005 smiles so violently, that you begin to worry about the state of his cheeks. I even don’t dare to think of what will happen to Bingley in the next version! But the hairstyle of Bingley 2005 is cool! Bingley 1995 is the best.

Jane Bennet

Jane 1940 and Jane 2005 are very beautiful girls. Perhaps brunettes used to be the beauty standard in the 40-s, meanwhile in 2005 (just as in 1995) a blond was to play the part of beauty. To my mind the actress, playing Jane 1995 is not as beautiful as it is constantly said all the series long, to be more concrete, she’s unconventionally beautiful; but it was she who managed to show Jane’s kind heart and meekness best of all. And the first place is again given to Jane 1995.

George Wickham
Wickham-1940 is such a tom-cat with short moustache. It’s clearly seen that Wickham 1995 is a crook, that’s why it’s not very clear how he manages to charm women; though many people like scoundrels. When I saw Wickham 2005, at first I thought that Orlando Bloom decided to keep Keira Knightley’s company for old times' sake. It turned out that it wasn’t he. In general, the 2005-th is not convincing, as it’s not clear that he’s a baddie.

Mrs. Bennet
All the mummies are alike, but in 1995 version this broody hen is shown the best of all, - so vividly, that there emerges a strong desire to strangle her

Mr. Bennet
The characters of two first films are very much alike; meanwhile Mr. Bennet 2005 in the performance of Donald Sutherland surprised me a bit. Perhaps in order to strengthen the unpleasantness of the Bennets, Mr. Bennet is rather slovenly and is nearly a barfly. The only saving straw is the smile at the very end of the film, but it’s more the advantage of Sutherland’s charisma than the result of some reinterpreting of this character by the producer.

I liked Charlotte in the last version. While in those of 1940 and 1995 it was all the time repeated that “poor Charlotte” had no luck with appearance, rather pretty actresses were playing these parts. In 2005 version she had really no luck.

Lady Catherine of 1940 with her equine face was up right her character, but actually turned out to be a nice old lady, so we don’t take her into account. It’s a trifle thing for Judi Dench from 2005 version to make herself out a queen, but the character with her face should be much cleverer than her lady de Bourgh. But when you notice how the cheeks of Darcy’s aunt are shaking in 1995 movie, it becomes evident that this actress is occupying a fitting place.

Generally “Pride and Prejudice” 2005 turned out to be a sort of agricultural. There are pigs, geese. I understand that it’s an English village, but still the film isn’t about shepherds. The costumes and make-up are also strange. There are plenty of untidy, unshaven and disheveled men at the ball; the girls’ coiffures look as if they came to the ball right from the hayloft. And you know, the beginning of the ball reminded me of Bilbo Begging’s birthday party. And these poor dresses strongly resembling dressing gowns! I won’t even mention that the absence of bosom is usually concealed, if not accentuated at all… It is all vice versa in 1994 version. No one saved on the cloths, a number of bouquet-installations were erected on heads, and necks were all covered with jewellery, fingers - with rings. I do repeat – the film is good and light. It’s a pity they don’t sing there. In BBC series costumes are the best, that’s why it justly got many awards for the costumes (and not only for them), and this very version should be treated as the closest to Jane Austin’s book according to the spirit of time and the plot. And if the films of 1994 and 2005 don’t reveal the problems of characters, the serial discloses the intrigue entirely.

Thus, “Pride and Prejudice” 2005 is worth watching for Keira Knightley fans, while those who love Jane Austin, may watch it only for a tick. The 1940 film deserves watching because of curiosity and just for fun. But all those, who like everything relating to “real English” and Jane Austen creations, - you’re welcome to watch “Pride and Prejudice” 1995 BBC version. Strange as it may seem, but imdb rate recommends the same…

Technorati Tags: Pride and Prejudice Keira KnightleyColin FirthJane Austen

Fedor Konyukhov:

"I am a traveler.

I am searching for an explanation for the sense of life through my journeys.
I want to know, why man is born, grows, lives through many difficulties,
gets married, has children and then dies. The same is true for his children.

While being alone on the ocean or near Cape Horn, I have thought a lot about
all that. It is a journey that enables you to think about such things. You
can reflect on the fact that life cannot be senseless and that it must have
some deep sense.

Where can the answer be found? Can it be found on the top of Everest or on
the way to the North or South poles?

This is a brief answer to the question, why I travel and try to reach the
most difficulties and mysterious places on our planet."

I’ve got so much to say about Grim Fandango game that I become rather confused trying to write a brief article. It’s extremely hard to write about things you really like. And Grim Fandango is one of the best. If not the best one.

It may seem that I overpraise this game, but Grim Fandango deserves it. Like many other games it has all the constituents of the successful project, – i.e. plot, graphics, playability, sound, humor, but it also possesses a special emotional constituent, with the help of which all the components are joined into a single whole. Grim Fandango is not just a game, but a book, a movie, a story, told by means of game.

Aztecs had a legend, according to which the soul of a deceased gets to the Land of the Dead to start a four-year journey to the ninth underground world, the place of final rest of all alive. Tim Shafer used this legend as the basis of Grim Fandango plot.

The Land of the Dead; traveling agent Manny Calavera works off his mundane sins, selling touring packs to the souls of new-comers. Depending upon the life-merits of his client, Manny can sell him traveling by car, liner, or, if the client is saint (or nearly saint), - train №9 ticket. This train will rush the person to the ninth world not for four years, but four minutes. For some reason Fortune avoids Manny, the client is exceptionally worthless, no good money can be made. A bit of manipulations – and Manny borrows an ideal client – Mercedes Colomar, who by all signs deserves №9 ticket. But the Death Department computer denies it. And than Manny begins to suspect that someone plays dirty tricks in the Death department… Meche disappears…  Manny must find her and help her cross the Land of the Dead!

It’s impossible to quest without a friend. And a big cheerful orange smth, called Glottis – a creature with a big and sincere heart, a demon belonging to the Land of the Dead, created with only one aim and a dream – to drive!

That’s the beginning of our story. A four-year soul-traveling is prepared for Manny Calavera; and each year at Dia de los Muertos – the Mexican Day of the Dead together with Many we’ll search for the lost love, which turns out to be stronger than the death, in the dead world.

Life is in full swing in the Land of the Dead. We are going to face plenty of characters while traveling. In Grim Fandango you enjoy the play of the pictured characters as if the best actors were doing their best. It’s a real pleasure to watch the mimics and the behavior of each personage. If I were a theatrical or TV critic, I would certainly pay note to masterly performance of the actors. It’s especially surprising taking into account that the mimics is shown by rather simple means. 3D personages have got only schematically drawn faces, which seem to copy the masks of the Mexican carnival of the dead. I wonder how the game designers managed to impact each “skully” its unique personality. It amazes that women skeletons can look rather alluring and sexually, positive characters cause our liking, while baddies – our disgust.

I especially want to distinguish the work of those actors who scored the characters. When the game was released, the majority of Internet-reviews admitted that Grim Fandango was scored as or even better than the best Hollywood cartoons. Glottis (Alan Blumenfeld) is certainly the best, his voice and performance are so realistic that don’t let you doubt the existence of real demons; while not every actor in the movie manages to prove that he’s at least alive. Mannie’s voice with mild Spanish accent is reach with intonations, it attracts and seems to prove that Manny is a good guy, a very sly one; and it’s not clear whether he’s scoffing or serious; but certainly he’s of our kind.

In addition to the brilliant voices, the soundtrack (its author is Peter McConnell) to the game is incomparable. Each location has its main theme, making the world even more rich, colorful and realistic.

The graphics in the game is unusual and captivating. Nowadays it’s hard to surprise anyone with a beautiful background, but thoroughly worked Grim Fandango worlds still strike with their beauty.

Grim Fandango isn’t reach with jokes, but the humor runs through all the game. It’s “trade” lambent Shafer’s humor, which appears from the very game situations. For example, trouble- revolutionary bees or the keen torture of Glottis on the winding tower count for much. Light humor and irony waves are everywhere – in the interiors, signs and dialogues. The creators’ sense of humor has even overstepped the limits of the game. In the game instruction, put into the box, there is a note for all those exasperated with the number of constantly smoking game characters: “For those who are disturbed by the amount of smoking in Grim Fandango, we offer two reasons: 1) we wanted to be true to the film noir atmosphere, and 2) everybody in the game who smokes is DEAD. Think about it.”.

Grim Fandango is music of the best feelings, where love is playing the leading part. Love for the woman, friends, money and power. In the dead world only love and dreams make sense and turn into passion. The captain in Rubakava forsakes everything so as to see his ship again; grave-digger Membrillio is spending all his days hoping to find a treasure; Lupe, the cloakroom attendant, is engrossed in the creation of a modern super system of coat-and-hat distribution; Salvador Limones is a high-minded revolutionist, fighting for the happiness of the souls; and Manny is looking for… for his Meche. Love here is closely connected with death and not by chance flowers present the most frightful sight in the game. In the dead world, where everyone is dead long ago, flowers appear to be far worse than death. All those, being “sprouted” disappear without leaving a trace. Forever.

My main complaint against Grim Fandango is that it comes to an end too fast. And the reason is not that the time you spend playing is short, but the world you can’t find enough strength to part with. That’s why don’t be surprised if you’ll become sad after finishing the game…

Summing up, I can say the following: I envious for myself that I’ve already played and go on replaying this game from time to time. I feel sorry for those people who never play such games and therefore miss such masterpieces. The same thing happens if a person never reads anything - a complete culture layer passes by. And Grim Fandango is undoubtedly the significant phenomenon of this very culture.

How to play on the modern PCs:
1) Install the game
2) Setup the patch.
3) Switch on 3D acceleration in the game properties.
4) Make sure that hardware 3D acceleration is selected in 3D acceleration properties.

The most complete fans’ site about the game is http://grimfandango.net. Here it’s possible to download the soundtrack, the game launcher (though I managed to start the game without it), all the saved games; and look through the concept-art and etc.

Today I suggest you a recipe of my favorite Italian cuisine. Pasta, traditional for the Italian cuisine, is used for cooking hot and cold dishes, hors-d'œuvres and even salads.

We are going to cook pasta with mushrooms and ham. We’ll need 250 g. of pasta (better of durum wheat semolina), i.e. half of the ordinary package; nearly 300 g. of fresh champignons (frozen champignons or other mushrooms of similar type may be used instead); 200 g. of ham and a small package (200 ml) of 10% or better 20% cream.

First of all start boiling pasta. While it’s getting ready, cut the mushrooms (half and half, then slice them into pieces 2-3 mm.). Fry them during 10-15 minutes; meanwhile cut the ham into long (3-4 mm.) straws (3-4 mm. thick) and add it to the mushrooms. Fry for 3-4 minutes and add cream. Fry for one more minute and turn off the gas. Add the sauce with ham and mushrooms to the prepared pasta and stir well.

Our Italian dish is ready :-)

I strongly recommend visiting galleries on the studio website. The pictures cheer you up considerably.

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Now I’m going to tell you about the interesting recipe of the green salad with bacon and mustard sauce. First of all, a few words about the ingredients. We’ll need 4 medium tomatoes, 2 cucumbers, half of the Chinese cabbage lettuce, 4 hard-boiled eggs, mustard and mayonnaise, vegetable oil, vinegar and 150-200 g. of bacon.

We’ll start with the green salad. Cut the vegetables: tomatoes into quarters, then into 3-4 mm. plates, then cucumbers into halves and in the same plates as tomatoes; I cut the salad in the following way: first of all the leaves taken separately into big pieces and then stumps into smaller ones. After that cut the bacon into thin straws (2 mm. thin, 5 mm. wide and 2-3 сm. long). The eggs should be cut as they usually are for Russian salad (don’t forget to keep two yolks for the sauce).

The sauce requires 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, one mustard tablespoon, two tablespoons of vegetable oil (better olive, but it’s not a big difference) and two yolks.

Smear yolks with a fork, add vinegar and stir; and then add mustard, mayonnaise and vegetable oil.

Mix everything thoroughly once again and dress the salad with the sauce.
Huzza! Everything is ready!

Enjoy your meal!

After that we made a call to our bank, and they said about the necessity of using CVV digits in our order. Security reason. We wrote to the CafePress support team about this issue, and got a reply, that we must call them, and service reps will be happy to assist. And that we do not need nothing, just our order number. We answered, that it
will be international call, and we will like to avoid it, if possible, and asked them to solve our problem by e-mail. And provide them (again) with our order number.

In next e-mail they said, that we must call, and to have a credit card ready. And they just want to update the information and make sure it goes through. We made a call. After a long explanation of our problem, service rep answer was: "Sorry, we can't help you with this problem". And the best part of that dialogue: after my next e-mail message to Support Team, I've got an answer: "at this time CafePress.com does not ship orders to Indonesia, Russia or Nigeria".

Only after 2 weeks of design works, 2 credit card info re-entering attempts, two calls to bank, one expensive international call to CafePress service, and 10-12 e-mails, we were provided with information, that CafePress does not ship orders to Russia. And not a word about it on their website! If you're in Russia, you can make a work, choose Russia as a destination country, and system will count a shipping cost, you will provide system with credit card information, and somehow after all of it, you will know, that "CafePress.com does not ship orders to Indonesia, Russia or Nigeria".

While hanging about in the internet I found one very interesting brief article - “Remote Destruction of Data", which solves the following intriguing task:

Can you set up a Mac so that if it is stolen, you can easily erase the contents of its hard drive from a remote location if the stolen Mac is connected to the internet?

The answer is surely positive. The following algorithm is underlying in the wee script, the reference above sends to:

The script, executed on the Mac, checks your website for the purpose of finding a kind of file “youve_been_stolen". If such a file exists, the script completes the rm -rf command and, for example, can message that the notebook has been stolen.

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