Sunday, 19 April 2009

Guui 2009 Model 215139 J85G0 8029


marina chain collection. quartz movement. case size 35 x 26 mm. sapphire crystal. jewelry clasp. water-resistant to 3 atm (100 feet/30 meters), swiss made. 2 year warranty.
small version. 18kt yellow gold case and bracelet with black lacquered dial. website exclusive.

Gucci 2009 Model 219072 I16G0 1000 001


G chrono collection. quartz movement. case diameter 44 mm. sapphire crystal. applied indexes. deployment buckle with pushers. water-resistant to 3 atm (100 feet/30 meters). swiss made. 2 year warranty.
extra large version. black PVD case with 54 diamonds and black PVD bracelet with black dial. total of 0.78 carats.

Monday, 13 April 2009

Citizen Ultimate Chronograph AV0031-59A

Product Key Features:
- 1/5 Second Chronograph Measures up to 12 Hours
- Safety Fold Over Clasp with Push Button
- Once Fully Charged has 240 Days Power Reserve
- Non-Reflective Crystal
- Never Needs a Battery


Product Description:
Citizen Calibre 2100 Eco-Drive Chronograph White Face, AV0031-59A - Innovation is what you are getting when you take a look at the Citizen Calibre 2100 Eco-Drive Chronograph White Face AV0031-59A watch. Citizen implemented the most sophisticated technology available to create the greatest chronograph available anywhere. The AV0031-59A features are those found among the most accurate, smooth, and stylish watches. The AV0031-59A is hand crafted to provide quality that is available no where else. Perfect for the scientific go-getter the Citizen Calibre 2100 Eco-Drive Chronograph White Face AV0031-59A would win the prize for innovation any day.

Gucci Women's 101G Gray Satin & Gray MOP Dial YA101508


Beauty instilled in time. This Gucci G Series timepiece glistens with its cool design accented by diamonds along its bezel, making it a unique selection to add to a lady's ensemble.
Model Number: YA101508Series: 101G
Style: Luxury
Size: Women's
Case: Stainless steel
Dial Color: Gray mother of pearl
Strap: Gray satin
Clasp Type: Buckle
Movement: Swiss made quartz
Crystal: Sapphire
Case Diameter: 28 mm
Case Thickness: 8 mm
Water Resistant: 30 meters
Strap Width: 15 mm
Strap Length: 7.5 inches
Diamonds: 47 white diamonds accent bezel

Sunday, 12 April 2009

Orient 2EU03002W

Model: Orient Watch - Orient 2EU03002W
Case material: Brushed solid stainless steel casing
Case dimensions: 43mm in diameter without the crown, 47mm in diameter with crown; 12mm in thickness
Weight: 4.8 oz
Movement: Orient automatic movement
Water resistant: Stainless steel
Crystal type: Scratch resistant mineral crystal
Crown: Screw in crown
Water resistant: 50 meters
Face color: White
Lug size: 20mm
Band type: Brushed solid stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp with push button
Band length: 8 1/4 inches including the watch, sizable down to 5.75 inches
Additional features: Day display, Date (with month) display, Luminous hands and markers
Warranty: 1 year warranty on all Orient watches
Items included: Owner's manual, Orient warranty paper

Marisa Tomei

Marisa Tomei (born December 4, 1964) is an American stage, film and television actress. Tomei first came to prominence as a supporting cast member on The Cosby Show spinoff A Different World in 1987.
She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the comedy My Cousin Vinny (1992). She received Best Supporting Actress nominations from the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for her roles in In the Bedroom and The Wrestler, as well as a BAFTA Award nomination for The Wrestler.
Her most commmercially successful film to date was What Women Want, followed by Wild Hogs (2007), and Anger Management (2003). She received critical acclaim for her performances in Unhook the Stars (1996) and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007).

Life and career

Early life
Tomei, an Italian American, was born in Brooklyn, New York, the daughter of Patricia "Addie," an English teacher, and Gary A. Tomei, a trial lawyer. She has a younger brother, actor Adam Tomei, and was partly raised by her paternal grandparents, Rita and Romeo Tomei. She is not related to actress Concetta Tomei. Tomei grew up in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. While there, she became captivated by the Broadway shows that her theater-loving parents took her to and became drawn to acting as a career. After graduating from Edward R. Murrow High School, she attended Boston University for a year, transferring to New York University in 1983 after landing a role in the soap opera As The World Turns. Soon afterward, she dropped out of school as her career began achieving success.

Career
Tomei followed up As the World Turns, in 1987, with a role on the sitcom A Different World. Her breakthrough comedic performance came in My Cousin Vinny (1992), for which she won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. After her Oscar win, she received a Screen Actor's Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Female Supporting Actor for Nick Cassavetes' Unhook the Stars. Next, she received an American Comedy Award nomination for Funniest Supporting Actress for Tamara Jenkins' Slums of Beverly Hills. She was nominated for a Satellite Award, as Best Supporting Actress for What Women Want.
Former Saturday Night Live cast member Jay Mohr wrote in his book Gasping for Airtime that, as guest host in October 1994, Tomei insisted that a proposed sketch about another actress not be used because she didn't like the idea of making fun of her, which displeased the writers and performers, given the show's penchant for satirizing celebrities.
In 1996, Tomei made a guest appearance on the sitcom Seinfeld, playing herself in "The Cadillac" two-part episode. In this episode, George attempts to get a date with Tomei through a friend of Elaine. She has also made an appearance on The Simpsons, as movie star Sara Sloane who falls in love with Ned Flanders.
She received her first Golden Globe Award nomination and her second Academy Award-nomination for Best Supporting Actress in Todd Field's In The Bedroom (2001).
In 2003, Tomei appeared in the hit Anger Management with Adam Sandler and Jack Nicholson. In 2005, she was featured in an ad campaign for Hanes with the slogan "Look who we've got our Hanes on now", featuring various other celebrities including Michael Jordan, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Damon Wayans, Matthew Perry and, on Spanish-language advertising, Aracely Arambula and Pablo Montero.
In 2006, Tomei had a recurring role on the TV series Rescue Me, playing Johnny's ex-wife Angie.
In 2007, she appeared in the comedy Wild Hogs alongside John Travolta, Tim Allen, William H. Macy and Martin Lawrence. The film was a blockbuster hit and was one of the highest grossing movies of 2007. She also starred in the Sidney Lumet-directed Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, opposite co-stars Philip Seymour Hoffman and Ethan Hawke. This role received extra attention because the usually modest Tomei had nude love scenes with both Hoffman and Hawke. In 2008, Tomei performed nude dance routines in another provocative role as a stripper, in the independent film The Wrestler opposite Mickey Rourke. She was nominated for a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Academy Award for this performance. Numerous critics heralded this performance as a standout in her career.

Theatre
Tomei has also done substantial work in the theater, including taking lead roles on Broadway in Wait Until Dark (1998) and Salomé (2003), and many Off-Broadway plays.

Personal life
In the early 1990s, Tomei dated Robert Downey, Jr. (her co-star in Chaplin and Only You). In 1999, she dated actor Dana Ashbrook and had a relationship with Frank Pugliese. As of 2009, she is dating actor Logan Marshall Green.
Tomei is the recipient of an honorary degree from Boston University.

Collin Farrell

Colin James Farrell (born May 31, 1976) is an Irish actor, who has appeared in several high-profile Hollywood films including Tigerland, Daredevil, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, Alexander and S.W.A.T.
Early life
Colin Farrell was born in Castleknock, Dublin, the son of Rita, a housewife, and Eamon Farrell, a footballer who played for Shamrock Rovers FC. His uncle Tommy Farrell also played for Rovers. Farrell has three siblings: two sisters, Claudine (who is his personal assistant) and Catherine; and a brother, Eamon Óg. Farrell was educated at St. Brigid's National School Castleknock followed by Castleknock College and Gormanston College. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, he was a promising young football player for Dublin team, Castleknock Celtic, as a goalkeeper and dated Angie Miller. Farrell auditioned for the Irish group Boyzone when he was still unknown, but was unsuccessful. Farrell attended The Gaiety School of Acting, but dropped out and was cast in the part of Danny Byrne on Ballykissangel, a BBC television drama. Farrell appeared on the show from 1998 to 1999.

Career
Farrell had a number of small parts in various television shows and films, including the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998 and his film debut in Tim Roth's The War Zone. Then in 2000, he was cast in the lead role of Private Roland Bozz in Tigerland, an American film directed by Joel Schumacher. Farrell's next American films, American Outlaws (2001) and Hart's War (2002), were not commercially successful, but his 2003 films, including Phone Booth, S.W.A.T., and The Recruit were well-received box office successes. Although he has a pronounced Irish accent, Farrell uses an American accent in some of his films including American Outlaws and his breakthrough role, Tigerland. Farrell is also a proven supporting actor, given his performances as an ambitious cop who chases after a potential criminal, played by actor Tom Cruise in Minority Report (2002), and as the skilled villain Bullseye in Daredevil (2003).
In late 2003, Farrell starred as a criminal who plots a bank heist with Cillian Murphy in the comedy Intermission, which held the record as highest-grossing Irish independent film in Irish box office history until 2006. In 2004, Farrell appeared in several independent films that received only a limited theatrical release in most countries, including A Home at the End of the World, which received some positive reviews. Farrell appeared as a bisexual character in A Home at the End of the World.

Farrell at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival
Farrell appeared in the title role of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's 2004 biopic Alexander, which, while receiving some favorable reviews internationally, received mostly mediocre and negative reviews in the United States. It was marked by controversy for portraying the ancient conqueror as bisexual, and received criticism from some historians for its portrayal of the ancient Persians, though others praised it for its accuracy in these regards as well. The movie grossed a total of $167 million worldwide, despite its poor showing within the United States, just exceeding its budget of $155 million.

Farrell as Alexander the Great in Alexander (2004)
His next film was 2005's Academy Award-nominated The New World, also a historical epic that was met with mixed reviews. Farrell played the leading role of captain John Smith, the founder of 17th century colonial Jamestown, Virginia who falls in love with a beautiful Native American princess, Pocahontas, played by Q'Orianka Kilcher. The film achieved success, despite being released in only 811 theaters worldwide and having a relatively low box office gross.
The New World was followed by Ask the Dust, a romance film set in period Los Angeles and co-starring Salma Hayek. It received a very limited theatrical release and was not a financial success. 2006 brought more success in Farrell's career, as he appeared opposite Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's action-crime film Miami Vice. The film was a box office success grossing a total of US $164 million worldwide. Farrell was next seen in Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream, which premiered in 2007 and was distributed in the U.S. in early 2008. Farrell's next film, Martin McDonagh's In Bruges, opened the Sundance Film Festival in 2008; Farrell received his first Golden Globe nomination and win for his role as Ray, a hired hitman. Shortly thereafter he appeared Kicking It, a documentary following six homeless men from different countries as they attempt to qualify for the Homeless World Cup. Farrell appeared on screen and provided narration. The film released simultaneously in theaters and television, airing on ESPN2 with a very short window to DVD release. Farrell received positive press for his involvement in the heartwarming true-life tale, and enthusiastic reviews for the two dramatic roles that preceded it.
On 11 January 2009, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor: Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges, in which he co-starred with Brendan Gleeson.

Personal life
Farrell is of Catholic religion and has a large cross tattoo on his left forearm. Farrell has a son, James (born 12 September 2003), with US model Kim Bordenave. In October 2007, Farrell revealed that his son has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterised by intellectual and developmental delay, speech impediment, sleep disturbance, seizures, hand flapping movements, and frequent laughter/smiling.
In December 2005, Farrell voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation treatment center for addictions to recreational drugs and painkillers. His publicist commented that Farrell had started taking painkillers due to a back injury. He was released in January 2006. In May 2006, Farrell started attending rehabilitation meetings.

Sex tape
In July 2005, Farrell filed a lawsuit suing his former girlfriend, Playboy model Nicole Narain, the Internet Commerce Group (ICG) and adult entertainment producer David Hans Schmidt over the unauthorized public distribution of a 14-minute sex tape that Farrell made with Narain in 2003. Farrell claims he understood the tape as being "strictly private and confidential and will take legal court actions to anyone who tries to distribute it", but it was leaked to Schmidt and ICG who tried to release it publicly. A Los Angeles judge issued an injunction barring the sale, distribution, or display of the tape.
Narain claimed that she did not give the tape to anyone and was not sure if or how copies were taken from her. She originally said that she would work with Farrell to ensure that it remained private, but Farrell said that Narain, along with Schmidt, was trying to release it in order to damage his career and "make money out of it", which Nicole denies.
In January 2006, the tape surfaced on website named dirtycolin.com. The site was shut down on the same day because the server overloaded, but re-opened a week later. The tape was then pirated through file sharing systems. Both Farrell's and Narain's lawyers denounced the site, which was shut down again a few days later for unknown reasons. Farrell's legal team said it would take legal action against sites that hosted the tape. A trial date for the Narain lawsuit was set for July 17, 2006, but the judge allowed Farrell and Nicole to mediate until April 20. On April 16, the two reached a settlement with confidential terms. However, Farrell's lawsuit against ICG continued with a trial date set for July 21, 2006.

Alleged proposition for sex
In 2005, Dame Eileen Atkins — who was 70 at the time — revealed on Loose Women that a "stunningly gorgeous big film star" spent nearly three hours propositioning her for "sex with no strings". The "star" was later revealed to be actor Colin Farrell, whom Atkins had acted alongside in the film, Ask the Dust. Atkins claimed she was tempted, but turned him down because he is 42 years her junior. Farrell did not comment on the accusation.

Dessarae Bradford's accusations
Farrell has been sued twice for alleged harassment and sending foul messages to telephone sex worker Dessarae Bradford. The lawsuits were later dismissed due to a lack of evidence provided by Bradford. Bradford, who has announced that she is "waging war on Colin Farrell", has recorded a song entitled "Colin Farrell is My Bitch" and has self-published a book called Colin Farrell: A Dark Twisted Puppy.
Bradford took a lie detector test on an i TV program in an attempt to support her claims and stories. She failed the test.
On 20 July 2006, as Farrell was being interviewed by Jay Leno on the set of The Tonight Show, Bradford evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. In front of a silent, stunned audience, Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, told the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted "I'll see you in court." Farrell's response was, "Darling, you're insane!" Outside the studio, NBC security handed her to Burbank police, who eventually released her. After Farrell apologized to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker", the show then continued filming and the incident was edited out of the broadcast aired that night. The following day, Farrell obtained a restraining order against Bradford.

Celebrity status
Farrell was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003. He was also voted sixth in the World's "Sexiest Man" contest by Company magazine that same year.
In 2007, Farrell joined other celebrities including Bruce Willis, Muhammad Ali, Eva Mendes, Vanessa L. Williams and Arnold Schwarzenegger to become an official games spokesman for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China.

Hugh Jackman


Date of Birth12 October 1968, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Birth NameHugh Michael Jackman
Height6' 2½" (1.89 m)
Mini Biography
Born in Sydney of English parentage, and the youngest of 5 children, Jackman has a Communications degree with a journalism major from the University of Technology Sydney. After graduating, he pursued drama at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, immediately after which he was offered a starring role in the ABC TV prison drama "Correlli" (1995), opposite his future wife Deborra-Lee Furness. Several TV guest roles followed, as an actor and variety compere. An accomplished singer, Jackman has starred as Gaston in the Australian production of Beauty and the Beast. He appeared as Joe Gillis in the Australian production of Sunset Boulevard. In 1998, he was cast as Curly in the Royal National Theatre's production of Trevor Nunn's Oklahoma. Jackman has made two feature films, the second of which, Erskineville Kings (1999), garnered him an Australian Film Institute nomination for Best Actor in 1999. Recently, he won the part of Logan/Wolverine in the Bryan Singer- directed comic book movie X-Men (2000). In his spare time, Hugh plays piano, golf and guitar and likes to windsurf.

Saturday, 11 April 2009

The Mulliner Tourbillon

Mulliner is the jewel in the crown of the Bentley car manufacturer. The exclusivity of the Mulliner Tourbillon comes at a price especially since only a few dozen of these remarkable timepieces will be made over the next few years. The watch, like the car, will be customized by the future owner who can choose whether he would like a platinum, or yellow, rose or white gold case, the dial colour, the shade of the crocodile leather strap and the type of veneer for the precious wood decoration on the back of the watch.

The movement is a hand-wound Breitling Calibre 18B with tourbillon regulating system, there is a pointer date display and it is a COSC certified chronometer.
The watch has a unique 30-second chronograph mechanism which is unusual in that the central seconds hand revolves around the dial in half a minute as opposed to the normal 60 seconds. This rather surprising configuration offers a more precise reading of the fractions of a second, which in this case is 1/6th of a second. There is also a 15-minute counter. The hour markers are crafted in mother-of-pearl, the owner’s initials are engraved on one of the movement bridges and the precious wooden ring on the caseback, which is available in the one of the six shades and veneers as the Bentley Mulliner trim on the car, is protected by a sapphire crystal. Finally, the dial is available in eight different colours.

The Mulliner Tourbillon, unique in concept, is a chef-d’oeuvre of workmanship and elegance that is a fitting tribute to the Mulliner Bentley car and the ‘Breitling for Bentley’ watch collection.

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

Demons

Demons is a British six-part supernatural television drama series produced by Shine Productions, which premièred on ITV on 3 January 2009. It is produced by the same company that made the Sky1 supernatural drama Hex and the BBC One fantasy series Merlin.

The plot follows the adventures of a London teenager Luke Rutherford, who learns that he is the last descendant of the Van Helsing line by the sudden arrival of his American godfather Rupert Galvin. Luke is charged with the role of smiting the gathering dark forces of the world whilst trying to live an ordinary life of exams and parties. Rupert Galvin helps train Luke with the assistance of Mina Harker, a blind concert pianist and authority on half-lives (i.e., vampires, demons, zombies, and werewolves). Luke's best friend Ruby also joins in on the action.

Notable demons
Gladiolus Thrip: A preening, narcissistic and ruthless hit-man, Thrip is a Type 12 entity, the most powerful type of demon there is. He has a cockney accent and speaks in a very pompous, verbose manner. He possesses superhuman speed and strength and is immune to most forms of attack. Nevertheless he possesses an arrogant belief in his invincibility which leads to his apparent destruction at the hands of Luke in the first episode. Thrip had no nose and wore an ivory beak in its place which survived the apparent destruction of his body. He later returns in the final episode, working to drive Luke and Galvin apart; however he is ultimately slain by Mina, who awakens her vampiric nature by drinking a vial of her own blood. Thanks to her vampiric sense, Mina realises that Thrip is a vampire (explaining why he did not die previously and why he was so difficult to kill). She later tears out his throat, as the only one who can kill a vampire is another vampire, causing his body to liquify. Thrip's superhuman speed was a hint to his true nature, as vampires bear the same kind of superhuman speed as seen in 'Suckers'.

Gilgamel: An ancient and powerful demon with an affinity for graveyards and churches, Gilgamel is a Travesty, a demon that can impersonate an angel. He feeds on the lifeforce of children who become his slaves after he devours their souls and help lure others into Gilgamel's clutches. While hunting for fresh victims, he appears as an ethereal white light; however his true form is that of a hideous, gargoyle-like demon, complete with cloven hooves, taloned wings and a skull resembling a Romanesque helmet. Luke easily dispatches him with a sword belonging to St Anselm (who had previously tried- and failed- to kill Gilgamel).

Mister Tibbs: A psychopathic genius, part man, part rat. Mister Tibbs is the demon responsible for the death of Rupert Galvin's wife and so Rupert hates him most of all demons and will stop at nothing to kill him. Tibbs however doesn't appear to be remotely afraid of Galvin and enjoys taunting him over the death of his wife.

Quincey: A power-hungry vampire and the son of Mina and her husband Jonathan, Quincey views humans as an inferior species and thus believes that vampires are perfectly justified in hunting and killing them, viewing it as no more evil than humans killing and eating chickens. He wants Mina to join him because she possesses the blood of Dracula, the most powerful vampire who ever lived, with which he seeks to make himself invincible so that he can conquer the earth. Mina is reluctant to let him die, but he is eventually killed by Luke. Like Mina, Quincey was a character in Bram Stoker's Dracula, being mentioned at the end of the novel and named after another character called Quincey Morris.

Alice: A 3000 year old harpy with a taste for human flesh and a predilection for preying on young men, Alice stalks her prey by taking the form of a beautiful young woman, which she uses to hunt Luke by posing as his girlfriend. When she so desires (or if forced by an external stimulus), she takes a more bestial form, becoming a winged beast that appears and behaves more like a dragon than the harpy of classical legend. She desires to kill Luke as revenge for one of his ancestors murdering her sisters, but Luke grudgingly dispatches her after learning her true nature.

Genre : Science fiction/supernatural drama
Created by : Johnny Capps Julian Murphy
Written by : Peter Tabern Howard Overman Lucy Watkins
Starring : Philip Glenister Christian Cooke Holly Grainger Zoe Tapper
Opening theme : Starlight Mints - Eyes of the Night
Composer(s) : Jack C Arnold
Country of origin : United Kingdom
No. of series : 1
No. of episodes : 6

Original channel : ITV
Picture format : HDTV (1080i)
Audio format : Dolby Digital
Original run : 3 January – 7 February 2009

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire Squelett, with 8-day power reserve


Other manufacturers made eight day watches as well, and some of these movements, originally intended for use in pocketwatches, came to be used as wristwatches; there are numerous examples which were designed to be used as military wristwatches.

Eight day watches were generally rather big as the mainspring was considerably larger as a rule, and such watches, when adapted for military use were like most modified pocket watches, worn on the wrist in a cuplike receptacle of leather, and held in place with a hefty leather strap that would have done well as a toddler's belt.

Parmigiani Mens Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire PF003518-01



Style : Kalpa XL Hebdomadaire
Model # : PF003518-01
Gender : Mens
Case : Stainless Steel
Bezel Material : Stainless Steel
Movement : Manual
Dial Color : Silver
Bracelet/Strap : Leather-Black
Crystal : Sapphire
Buckle : Deployment Buckle
Functions : Hour, Minutes, Date, Power Reserve and Seconds
Date : at 6 o'clock
Power Reserve : 192 Hour
Case Width : 37 mm
Case Thickness : 11.2 mm
Water Resistant : 150 Feet

Saturday, 22 November 2008

Sarah Wayne Callies


Sarah Wayne Callies (born Sarah Anne Callies on June 1, 1977 in La Grange, Illinois) is an American actress who is best known for her role as Sara Tancredi in the American television series Prison Break.

Early life
Callies moved to Honolulu, Hawaii with her family when she was one. Throughout her youth, she expressed an interest in acting through participating in various school plays at Punahou School.
While her parents are professors at the University of Hawaii, Manoa, Callies did not follow in their footsteps. Instead, she chose to pursue a career in acting. After graduating from high school, she entered Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. In conjunction with her studies, she continued her involvement in theatre. She continued her education at Denver's National Theater Conservatory where she obtained her Master of Fine Arts degree in 2002.

Career
Callies' first role on television was as Kate O'Malley, a recurring role on the short-lived CBS show Queens Supreme. Her first starring role was as Detective Jane Porter on The WB's Tarzan.
After making various guest appearances on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Dragnet (2003) and NUMB3RS, Callies gained a starring role on FOX's Prison Break as Sara Tancredi. Her role lasted from 2005 through 2007. According to Prison Break's executive producer Matt Olmstead, although he, the writers, the network and Callies herself all wanted her to stay on the show the character was written out related to contract disputes. She stated through a spokesperson to TV Guide in Fall 2007:

"As hard as we all tried, the Prison Break powers that be and I were unable to find a way to meet both the needs of the story and the needs of my family. We parted wishing each other well. I had a wonderful time working with the creative team and have a world of respect for all of them; they took great care of Sara. I'm also enormously grateful to the fans. They've been so gracious and supportive, and I hope they continue to enjoy the show.

However, in March 2008 Olmstead stated that the character of Sara is still alive and would return in Season 4 of Prison Break. Though the character Sara Tancredi appeared to have a violent death Olmstead stated "...we realized that there was actually a way she could still be alive. When asked by Kirstin of E! whether the fans' overwhelming response to her death (namely the STGD Campaign and Save-Sara-Tancredi.org) had factored in, Excecutive Producer Matt Olmstead admitted it had indeed influenced the decision.
Callies has also starred in two feature films - Universal Pictures' Whisper and an independent, The Celestine Prophecy.

Personal life
On June 21, 2002, Callies married Josh Winterhalt, whom she met at Dartmouth College. Winterhalt is a martial arts teacher. On January 23, 2007, her publicist announced that the couple were expecting their first child. In July 2007, Callies and her husband welcomed a baby girl, Keala Winterhalt pronounced Kay-AH-lah.

Film
2006 The Celestine Prophecy : Marjorie
2007 Whisper : Roxanne
2008 Bittersweet : Robyn

Television
2003 Queens Supreme : Kate O'Malley
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit : Jenny Rochester
Dragnet : Kathryn Randall
Tarzan : Jane Porter
2004 The Secret Service : Laura Kelly
2005 NUMB3RS : Kim Hall
2005 - 2007, 2008- Prison Break : Sara Tancredi

Sara Tancredi (Prison Break)


Dr. Sara Wayne Tancredi is a fictional character from the American television series, Prison Break. She is played by Sarah Wayne Callies. Her role in the first season of the series was a prison doctor.

Raised in Chicago, Sara Tancredi's ambitions to be a doctor began when she was very young. While at Northwestern University, where she was a Phi Beta Kappa, she was introduced to the works of Mahatma Gandhi and decided to become a humanitarian, which later influenced her decision to work at Fox River State Penitentiary. Another factor which contributed to her occupational choice was her past morphine addiction, culminating in being unable to help a boy after he was run over because she was high, which was revealed in a flashback episode of the first season, "Brother's Keeper". At 29 years old, Dr. Sara Tancredi was one of the few doctors working at Fox River. Her chosen occupation became a constant source of stress for her father. Sara is the only child of the Governor of Illinois, Frank Tancredi (John Heard). Due to her father's hectic political career and vastly differing beliefs, she did not have a close relationship with him. In episode "Buried", it was revealed that her mother has already died.

In the first season, Sara is mostly featured in scenes with Michael Scofield, while in the second season, Sara has mainly appeared in scenes with Frank Tancredi, Paul Kellerman or by herself. Thus far, she has appeared in every episode in the series except for second season episodes, "Otis" and "John Doe". After the death of Robin Tunney's character, Veronica Donovan, Sara Tancredi became the only remaining principal female character. Coincidentally, just like Veronica (who was killed off in the first episode of the second season "Manhunt"), she was "killed off" early in the third season, apparantly beheaded by Gretchen Morgan, and her "head" was delivered in a box to Lincoln Burrows. In season 4 it is discovered that the head was a ploy and that Sara is alive.

In the television series, the character is described as "tall, slender, brown hair, brown eyes. The character's biography on the show's official site describes Sara as someone who wanted to be more than a "traditional doctor" and to follow a "more humanitarian path". Similarly, the actress portraying the character comments that, "At a certain point, in her past, she's worked with Doctors without Borders, worked in the Third World, and I think it gave her a different sense of the value of life and the potential of medicine in ways that resonated with her, for First World applications in a prison population.

Sara is shown in the series as a compassionate doctor who cared about her patients, while treating each one of them with the same cordiality and respect. In the episode "The Rat", Sara's father questions her motive for helping Lincoln Burrows, to which she replies, "It's my job to advocate for [my patients]. Sarah Wayne Callies, who portrays Sara Tancredi, remarks that the character "feels a certain level of responsibility to these guys. Partly because who her father is... she's the kind of person who would rather take a stand and sleep well at night than have a peaceful family.

In the second season, Sara becomes part of the conspiracy plot of the show after her involvement in Michael and Lincoln's escape, and her father's later pursuit of information concerning Lincoln's case. She is continuously chased by covert agents after the death of her father in "Buried". Sara later confides in Michael in episode "Chicago" that the two things keeping her going are her feelings for him and that she wants to seek justice for her father's death. The character is described by Jay Bobbin from Zap2it.com as "gutsy", while TV Guide's Maya Schechter remarks that Sara is "one tough cookie". Regarding her character's change in the second season, Callies says, "She's just someone who has really rushed at life and absorbed experience with real enthusiasm. She's getting a lot more than she bargained for right now, and I certainly don't think she'll be the same person after this.

Thursday, 6 November 2008

The Big Bang Theory


The Big Bang Theory is an American situation comedy created and executive produced by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, which premiered on CBS on September 24, 2007. It concerns two 20-something prodigies; a theoretical and an experimental physicist at Caltech, who live across the hall from a blonde waitress with showbusiness aspirations; their geekiness is contrasted to her naïveté and common sense. It is produced by Warner Bros. Television and Chuck Lorre Productions, and recorded in front of a studio audience.

The pilot episode, simply titled "Pilot", directed by James Burrows, led to a 13-episode order on May 14, 2007. Prior to the premiere of the show on CBS, the pilot episode was distributed on iTunes free of charge.

On October 19, 2007 the show was picked up for a full 22-episode season, the first new comedy of the 2007-2008 season to be given a full season.
Production on the show was halted on November 6, 2007 by the 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike.

On February 14, 2008, CBS officially picked up The Big Bang Theory for a second season along with eleven other shows for the 2008-2009 television season.
The show returned on March 17, 2008 with an earlier time slot and nine new episodes. The second season premiered on September 22, 2008.

David Saltzberg, a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of California-Los Angeles, checks scripts and provides dialogue, math equations and diagrams used as props. He says he's more consultant than contributor.

Monday, 3 November 2008

Merlin


Merlin is a British television drama series that began in 2008. It is based around the Arthurian legends of the mythical wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur, though differs significantly from more traditional versions of the myth. Produced by independent production company Shine Limited for BBC One, the programme is designed to run in the same Saturday evening family drama slot as series such as Doctor Who and Robin Hood.

Merlin arrives at the city of Camelot, where the king, Uther Pendragon, has outlawed magic and imprisoned the last dragon. Merlin, who was born with extraordinary magic powers, is taken as the apprentice of Gaius. Merlin later discovers, after being informed by the last dragon, who is held as a prisoner deep under the city, that he has an important destiny in protecting Uther's arrogant son, Arthur, so that he may grow up to found a great kingdom.

The era in which the series is set is ambiguous; traditionally the Arthurian legends are set in the dark ages, and the idea of King Uther reigning over a small kingdom (which is present in both traditional legend and the television series) sets it before the union of England in 927. Despite this, the castle interiors are 15th century, making the series' setting inconsistent with English history. Britain is never mentioned; Uther's domain is referred to by the name Albion, the oldest known name for Great Britain.

The television series deviates significantly from more traditional versions of the legend, such as those written by Geoffrey of Monmouth and Thomas Malory. For instance, in the original myth, it is Arthur who builds Camelot, whereas in this series it pre-dates Arthur's father Uther. Another key difference is that in the television series, Arthur and Merlin are of approximately the same age, whereas in traditional myth, Merlin is much older, and acts as Arthur's tutor.

Friday, 31 October 2008

Chinese Gold Coins







China has issued coins for over two thousand years, including gold coins. In 1982 it introduced gold bullion coins known as pandas in convenient one ounce sizes with fractions and multiples.

Moonstone


The moonstone is characterised by an enchanting play of light. Indeed it owes its name to that mysterious shimmer which always looks different when the stone is moved and is known in the trade as 'adularescence'. In earlier times, people believed they could recognise in it the crescent and waning phases of the moon.Moonstones from Sri Lanka, the classical country of origin of the moonstone, shimmer in pale blue on an almost transparent background. Specimens from India feature a nebulous interplay of light and shadow on a background of beige-brown, green, orange or brown. These discreet colours, in connection with the fine shimmer, make the moonstone an ideal gemstone for jewellery with a sensual, feminine aura. This gemstone was very popular once before, about a hundred years ago at the time of Art Nouveau. It adorns a noticeably large number of the jewellery creations of the French master goldsmith René Lalique and his contemporaries, mainly to be found in museums and collections today. This gemstone is surrounded by a good deal of mystique and magic. In many cultures, for example in India, it is regarded as a holy, magical gemstone. In India, moonstones are also regarded as 'dream stones' which bring the wearer beautiful visions at night. In Arabic countries, women often wear moonstones sewn out of sight into their garments, for in their cultures the moonstone is a symbol of fertility. The moonstone symbolises our being in its entirety. With its soft shimmer, it strengthens our emotional and subconscious aspects. The associations connected with that make it a "lovers' stone", evoking tender feelings and safeguarding the true joys of love. It is also said that wearing a moonstone strengthens our intuition and our capacity to understand.

Labradorite


Labradorite is truely a fascinatingly beautiful mineral. Its a mineral whose charm is not fully noticed and may be overlooked if not viewed from the proper position. Generally a dull, dark looking mineral with no special virtue until the colorful shiller is observed glowing on the surface. Labradorite can produce a colorful play of light across cleavage planes and in sliced sections called labradorescence. The usually intense colors range from the typical blues and violets through greens, yellows and oranges. Some rare specimens display all these colors simultaneously.

The color display is from lamellar intergrowths inside the crystal. These intergrowths result from compatible chemistries at high temperatures becoming incompatible at lower temperatures and thus a separating and layering of these two phases. The resulting color effect is caused by a ray of light entering a layer and being refracted back and forth by deeper layers. This refracted ray is slowed by the extra travel through the layers and mixes with other rays to produce a light ray coming out that has a different wavelength than when it went in. The wavelength could correspond to the wavelength of a particular color, such as blue. The effect depends on the thickness and orientation of the layers. If the layers are too thick or too thin no color shiller is seen. Also if the viewer does not observe from the precise angle or if light is not supplied from the proper angle then no color shiller is seen. The labradorescence is truely a one of a kind mineralogical experience and must be observed in person in order to truely appreciate its beauty.

Labradorite is a member of the plagioclase series of minerals. The plagioclase series comprises felspars that range in chemical composition from pure NaAlSi3 O8 to pure CaAl2 Si2 O8 . Labradorite is defined at approximately the 50% to 70% CaAl2 Si2 O8 . Labradorite by definition must contain 50-70% calcium to 50-30% sodium in the sodium/calcium position of the crystal structure. All members of the plagioclase series usually display lamellar twinning called "Albite Twinning". The twinning is caused by a error in the crystal structure during its growth.

PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:


  • Color is gray to smoky black.
  • Luster is dull to vitreous.
  • Transparency crystals are transparent to translucent.
  • Crystal System is triclinic; bar 1
    Crystal Habits include blocky crystals that rarely form free of the host rock and therefore do not usually show their full crystal forms. In sliced sections of rock, the labradorite appears as blocky chunks with a predominance of near right angled corners. Twinning is common and pervasive so that in labradorite it produces a layered or stacked effect. The twin layers are typically only fractions of millimeters to several millimeters thick. Crystals of labradorite are found imbedded in gabbros and other mafic igneous rocks of low silica content. In anorthosites, labradorite is a main constituent.
  • Cleavage is perfect in one and good in another direction forming nearly right angled prisms.
  • Fracture is conchoidal.
  • Hardness is 6 - 6.5.
  • Specific Gravity is approximately 2.70 - 2.74 (average)
  • Streak is white.
  • Associated Minerals are biotite, pyroxene and hornblende.
  • Other Characteristics: index of refraction is 1.55 - 1.75. Play of colors called labradorescence seen from certain directions can cause flashes of blue, violet and green and sometimes orange and yellow.
  • Notable Occurrences include Labrador, Canada and Scandinavian Pennisula.
  • Best Field Indicators are occurence, twinning striations and labradorescence.
  • Chemistry: Ca(50-70%) Na(50-30%) (Al, Si)AlSi2 O8, Calcium sodium aluminum silicate.
  • Class: Silicates
  • Subclass: Tectosilicates
  • Group: Feldspars
  • Uses: ornamental and semi-precious stone

Peridot


Peridot (pronounced pair-a-doe) is the gem variety of olivine. Olivine, which is actually not an official mineral, is composed of two minerals: fayalite and forsterite. Fayalite is the iron rich member with a pure formula of Fe2SiO4. Forsterite is the magnesium rich member with a pure formula of Mg2SiO4. Olivine's formula is written as (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 to show the substitution of the magnesium and iron. Peridot is usually closer to forsterite than fayalite in composition although iron is the coloring agent for peridot. The best colored peridot has an iron percentage of less than 15% and includes nickel and chromium as trace elements that may also contribute to the best peridot color.

Gem quality peridot comes from the ancient source of Zagbargad (Zebirget) Island in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt; Mogok, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma); Kohistan, Pakistan; Minas Gerais, Brazil; Eifel, Germany; Chihuahua, Mexico; Ethiopia; Australia; Peridot Mesa, San Carlos Apache Reservation, Gila County, Arizona and Salt Lake Crater, Oahu, Hawaii, USA. The best quality peridot has historically come either from Myanmar or Egypt. But new sources in Pakistan are challenging that claim with some exceptional specimens. The Arizona gem material is of lesser quality, but is far more abundant and is therefore much more affordable. An estimated 80 - 95% of all world production of peridot comes from Arizona. The Myanmar, Pakistani and Egyptian gems are rarer and of better quality and thus quite valuable approaching the per carat values of top gemstones. Possibly the most unusual peridot is that which comes from iron-nickel meteorites called pallasites. Some are actually facetted and set in jewelry.


Peridot is perhaps derived from the French word peritot which means unclear, probably due to the inclusions and cloudy nature of large stones. It could also be named from the Arabic word faridat which means gem. In either case, peridot has been mined as a gemstone for an estimated four thousand years or better, and is mentioned in the Bible under the Hebrew name of pitdah. Peridot gems along with other gems were probably used in the fabled Breastplates of the Jewish High Priest, artifacts that have never been found. The Greeks and Romans referred to peridot as topazion and topazius respectively and this name was later given to topaz, to end the confusion with the two gems. Historical legend has it that peridot was the favorite gemstone of Cleopatra. Pliny wrote about the green stone from Zagbargad Island in 1500 B.C.. Even until recently have jewelers used the term "chrysolite" (latin for golden stone) in referring to peridot gems for some reason. This term has also been used to refer to other gemstones, of a more golden color.

Zagbargad (Zebirget) Island has been known as St John's Island and was mined for centuries. Before World War I, this island was extensively mined and produced millions of dollars worth of gems. Since then the mining has been off and on and at present is all but nonexistent. Still, specimens from here are available at times and it certainly is a classic mineral locality.
Throughout time, peridot has been confused with many other gemstones, even emerald. Many "emeralds" of royal treasures have turned out to be peridots! And although peridot is distinctly a different shade of green, many jewelers refer to peridot as "evening emerald". Emerald is a dark green as opposed to a yellow green and always contains inclusions. Other green gemstones confused with peridot include apatite (which is much softer); green garnets (have no double refraction), green tourmaline and green sinhalite (both of which are strongly pleochroic), moldavites (no double refraction) and green zircon (significantly heavier). All of these gemstones rarely have as nice a yellow component to their green color as does most peridot, but darker green peridot can be confusing when good crystal form is not discernible.

Peridot is a beautiful gemstone in its own right and is widely popular. Its popularity is said to be increasing yearly and with new finds in Pakistan producing exceptionally well crystallized specimens, peridot can be fun to collect for years to come.
VARIETY INFORMATION:
VARIETY OF: Olivine , (Mg, Fe)2SiO4.
USES: gemstone.
BIRTHSTONE FOR: August
COLOR: shades of green usually from yellow-green to greenish yellow.
INDEX OF REFRACTION: 1.630 - 1.695
BIREFRINGENCE: 0.037
HARDNESS: 6.5 - 7
CLEAVAGE: usually not discernible
CRYSTAL SYSTEM: orthorhombic
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