Mamma Mia Film 2008 Film Wallpapers and Reviews

Posted in Films and Movies on Mar 22nd, 2008 | Comments Off

Mamma Mia! is an upcoming film adaptation of the West End musical of the same name based on the songs of pop group ABBA. The title of the film comes from the group’s 1975 chart-topper “Mamma Mia”. It will be produced by Universal Pictures in partnership with Playtone and Littlestar. It is slated for a release date of July 11, 2008 in Sweden and the United Kingdom, July 18, 2008 in the United States.

Oscar winner Meryl Streep will head the cast of the film, playing the role of single mother Donna Sheridan. Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth and Stellan Skarsgård will play the three potential fathers to Donna’s daughter Sophie (Amanda Seyfried).

Plot: Mamma Mia! employs the hit songs of famed pop group ABBA to tell the story of Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried), a young girl who hopes to discover the identity of her father. On the eve of her wedding to Sky (Dominic Cooper), she brings three men, Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), Bill Austin (Stellan Skarsgård) and Harry Bright (Colin Firth), from her mother Donna’s (Meryl Streep) past back to the Greek island they visited over two decades ago.

Cast:

  • Meryl Streep as Donna Sheridan, Sophie’s mother.
  • Christine Baranski as Tanya, Donna’s friend.
  • Julie Walters as Rosie, Donna’s friend.
  • Amanda Seyfried as Sophie Sheridan, Donna’s daughter and Sky’s fiancée.
  • Dominic Cooper as Sky, Sophie’s fiancée.
  • Pierce Brosnan as Sam Carmichael, Sophie’s possible dad #1.
  • Colin Firth as Harry Bright, Sophie’s possible dad #2.
  • Stellan Skarsgård as Bill Anderson, Sophie’s possible dad #3.
  • Amanda Seyfried won the role of Sophie over other high profile contenders including Ashley Tisdale, Amanda Bynes and Mandy Moore.

Soundtrack: It has been suggested that the filmmakers have removed “Thank You For The Music”, “Under Attack” and “Knowing Me, Knowing You” from the movie. However, it is reported that “When All Is Said And Done”, the lead single in North America from ABBA’s 1981 and final studio album, The Visitors, will be included in the film as a new song not present in the stage musical. “When All Is Said And Done” was ABBA’s last top 30 hit in the United States.

Tracks:

  • “Mamma Mia” (as heard in the trailer)
  • “I Have A Dream” (as heard in the trailer)
  • “Dancing Queen”
  • “Money, Money, Money”
  • “SOS” (Meryl Streep said in an interview that she really wanted to sing SOS with Pierce Brosnan)
  • “Take a Chance on Me”
  • “When All Is Said and Done”
  • “Voulez-Vous”
  • “The Winner Takes It All” (This song is heard in an interview with Benny on SVT)
  • “Super Trouper” (Also heard (and seen) footage from the film in the interview with Benny)
  • “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” (as heard in new trailer)

Production: The picture was filmed in several different locations, including London, Venice, Morocco, Damouchari (a seaside hamlet in the Pelion area of Greece), Skopelos island and Skiathos island. Filming on Skiathos island began August 29th to 30th in the harbor, and in the bell tower for the wedding from August 30th to September 3rd. Filming on Skopelos island began on September 3rd and wrapped at the end of September. Locations in Skopelos included Agios Iannis tou Kastri, Kastani Beach and Agnondas.

Production offices for the film were based at Pinewood Studios and although the film is set on a Greek island, much was filmed on the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios where lighting and temperature could be controlled.

The Mamma Mia trailer was released the week of December 10th, first on Entertainment Tonight, then released to the internet. A high quality version can be found on the film’s official website.

Links:

Free Website CSS Templates at BadTemplate.com

Posted in Sites on Mar 22nd, 2008 | Comments Off

Bad Templates, Free Templates CSS DownloadWelcome to Bad Template.com, This site offers a collection of quality Free CSS website Templates ready made web designs, that can be used as a basis for fast and quality website.

Our website templates are completely customizable and ready for immediate download.

Templates are free to use and modify them for any purpose, We at BadTemplate.com do our best to provide you with web templates design of premium quality. All the free CSS templates on this site are distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License.

CSS Design Templates, Blog Template, CSS, Free Template, Professional Templates, WordPress Themes, Free Web Templates, Free Layouts, Free Graphics, Web Templates, Dreamweaver Templates, Dynamic, Theme, Style, Layout, Original Design, Photoshop, Blogger, Blogspot Template, Premium Templates, Full site, Flash Site, Full package, Low budget, 3 colors, 3D style, Agriculture,  Animals & Pets, Architecture Templates.

Art & Photography, ArtWorks, Beauty, Books, Business, Cafe and Restaurant, Cars, Bad Template Warning LogoCharity, Christmas Templates, Clean style, Communications, Computers, Dating, Education, Electronics, Entertainment,  Exterior design, Family, Fashion, Fireworks, Flowers, Food & Drink, Forums, Games, Gifts.

 Halloween Templates, Hosting, Hotels, Icon Sets, Industrial, Interior & Furniture, Internet, Jewelry, Joomla, Law, Logosets, Mambo, Templates, Media, Medical, Military, Music, Neutral, Night Club, Online Casino, Online store shop, Personal pages, PHP-Nuke Themes, PhpBB2, PhpBB3, Politics, Portal, Real Estate, Religious, Science, Security, Society & Culture, Software, Sport, Stretched, Transportation, Travel, Web 2.0 Templates, Web design, Wedding,  Wide templates, WordPress Themes, XML Flash Site, Full Site Template, Logos, Colors, Cascading Style Sheets.

Templates are free to use and modify them for any purpose, We at BadTemplate.com do our best to provide you with web templates design of premium quality.

Links:

Capoeira Martial Art from Brazil

Posted in Sites, Sports on Mar 4th, 2008 | Comments Off

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian blend of martial art, game, and culture created by enslaved Africans in Brazil during the 16th Century. Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts.

Throughout the game, a player must avoid a sweep, trip, kick, or head butt that may knock him or her on the floor. Less frequently-used techniques include elbow-strikes, slaps, punches, and body-throws. Capoeira has evolved from one main form, now referred to as “Capoeira Angola”, into two other forms known as “Capoeira Regional”, and the ever-evolving “Capoeira Contemporânea”.

Capoeira is an energetic, often acrobatic, dance-like style of martial art. Capoeira was first practiced by African slaves who were taken to work in Brazil. Capoeira is primarily based around kicking, as a slave’s hands were normally manacled.

In Capoeira, many movements are carried out while in a handstand position, often resembling modern Breakdance moves. There are a variety of forms of Capoeira, including where two people “play” fight each other inside a circle formed by spectators, while other members of the group play instruments and sing. The music dictates the speed or tempo of the movements.

History: From the 16th to the 19th centuries, Portugal shipped slaves into South America from western Africa. Brazil was one of the many American destinations for African captives, with 42% of all enslaved peoples shipped across the Atlantic. Most commonly sold into Brazil were Akan, Igbo, Yoruba, Dahomean, Muslim Guineans, Hausa, and Bantu (among them Kongos, Kimbundas, and Kasanjes) from Angola, Congo and Mozambique.

These Africans brought their cultural traditions and religions with them to the New World. One theory suggests that capoeira originated from a fern courtship dance in Angola used by suitors of young women, however, this is only one of many disputed theories. There is contention as to whether the game arrived with enslaved Africans or whether Africans refined a preexisting Brazilian game. One catalyst for capoeira was the homogenization of African people under the oppression of slavery. Capoeira emerged as a way to resist oppression, secretly practice art, transmit culture, and lift spirits.

Most Brazilian scholars have argued that Capoeira emerged as a way to conceal the fact that slaves were practicing to fight (against their owners), concealing it with a seemingly happy dance routine. This explains why today’s Capoeira appears to be a mix of both fighting techniques and flowing artful dance.

Batuque and Maculelê are other fight-dances also developed by African-descended populations that are closely connected to Capoeira. There are also engravings and writings that describe a now-lost fighting dance in Cuba, the baile del maní, with two Bantu men moving to the yuka drums.

[wp_youtube]ESAbsiGBt1I[/wp_youtube]

After slavery was abolished in 1888, the freed people often moved to the cities of Brazil. With employment scarce, many joined or formed criminal gangs. They continued to practice Capoeira, which in time became associated with anti-government and criminal activities.

As a result, Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil in 1890, and the punishment for practicing it was extreme (practitioners would have the tendons on the backs of their feet cut), and the police were vicious in their attempt to stamp out the art.

Capoeira continued to be practiced, but it moved further underground. Rodas were often held in areas with plenty of escape routes, and a special rhythm called cavalaria was added to the music to warn players that the police were coming. Capoeira practitioners (capoeiristas) also adopted apelidos or nicknames to make it more difficult for police to discover their true identities. To this day, when a person is baptized into Capoeira at the batizado ceremony, they may be given an apelido. (Legal persecution of the art faded eventually.)

Mestre Bimba made a major contribution to the preservation of the art by opening the first academy for instruction in Capoeira. This was a significant development because it eventually led to the legalization of the art in Brazil, and allowed Capoeira to gain popularity at a time when the art could possibly have died out. A notable example of the influence of Mestre Bimba’s system of formal instruction took place in 1937, when he was invited to perform with his students at an event at which Getulio Vargas (the president of Brazil at that time) was present.

Vargas was so impressed with the discipline and devotion of Mestre Bimba’s students he declared Capoeira the national sport of Brazil. Mestre Bimba also had a major impact on the practice and method of instruction of the art, and introduced changes that affect the practice of the art to this day. Because of these changes Mestre Bimba remains a controversial figure. Prior to the legalization of the art, the public associated the art of Capoeira with the poor underclass, criminal activity, and negative stereotypical elements of the Afro-Brazilian population.

In order to alter the image of the art in the eye of the public, Mestre Bimba removed many of the rituals and traditions of the art of Capoeira for practice in his academy. Because of the negative stereotypes associated with Capoeira, he called his variant of the form Uma Luta Regional de Bahia (A regional fight from Bahia).

Mestre Bimba’s Capoeira is now called Capoeira Regional, and subsequently many modern forms of Capoeira not directly derived from Bimba’s teaching are also called Regional. Mestre Bimba’s Capoeira continued to gain popularity, but eventually an effort was made to prevent the art from losing its traditions and rituals.

In 1942, Mestre Pastinha opened the first formal academy for instruction in the traditional form of the art, known as Capoeira Angola. Mestre Pastinha’s efforts prevented Capoeira Angola from being lost as newer, modernized forms of the art gained popularity.

This era was a milestone of a dramatic change in the mode of instruction of the art of Capoeira. Previously, Capoeira was passed on in secret, usually from a relative such as one’s father or uncle, or in a small group setting where several young people in a particular community would receive guidance from elder practitioners from that community. During this era, the academy system became the predominant form of participation in the art. Presently, there are capoeira academies on almost every continent of the world.

Another significant change that occurred due to the proliferation of Capoeira ’schools’ is the participation of middle and upper class members of the population. Presently, some Mestres participate in seminars where they discuss the need to make the art available to poor blacks who can not afford the cost of training in an academy. This is an issue of concern to practitioners who recognize the importance of making the art available to people who come from the culture that invented the art in the first place.

After the sport was brought to the United States, the only school that ever incorporated it with academic subjects as an in-school class was created, and is known as Hoggetowne Middle School, located in Gainesville, Florida.

Etymology: The derivation of the word “Capoeira” is under dispute, as there are several possibilities:

  • The Portuguese word “Capoeira” derives from the word capão, which translates as capon, a castrated rooster. The sport’s name may originate from this word since its moves resemble those of a rooster in a fight.

A Capoeira “fight” is one that implies that the purpose is a pretend cockfight, whereby men participate to show off their skills rather than fighting to actually kill or harm an opponent. Though this gymnastic almost dance-like display can appear to be a fight, participants are expected to restrain themselves from inflicting grievous harm upon one another.

Hence, all participants are reminded by the word Capoeira, that the intent of the “fight” should remain one with the restraint of the show-off, yet castrated, rooster called Capão.

These showy cock like fights are mock fights of skill between performing “capão” in the mock cockfight pen known as the “Capoceira”. Capoeira is an extreme display of a cockfight-like competition of one-up-man-ship between show-off cocky “roosters” absent deadly intent.

“Capoeira” has several meanings, including any kind of pen where poultry is kept, a fowl similar to a partridge, and a basket worn on the head by soldiers defending a stronghold. “Capoeira” is also what people used to call a black inlander who mugged travelers.

  • Afro-Brazilian scholar Carlos Eugenio has suggested that the sport took its name from a large round basket called a capa commonly worn on the head by urban slaves selling wares.
  • The word could derive from two Tupi-Guarani words, kaá (leaf, plant) and puéra (past aspect marker), which literally means “formerly a forest”, referring to an area of forest that had been cleared by burning or cutting down. In such places a thick, low secondary vegetation would grow, making it a good place for those who escaped slavery and bandits to hide. According to this etymology, the term was first used as a synonym of outlaw, especially the type of outlaws that would evade justice by escaping to the jungles, to be only later applied to the fighting art most of them knew.
  • Kongo scholar K. Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau has posited that “capoeira” could be derived from the Kikongo word kipura, a term used to describe a rooster’s movements in a fight and meaning to flutter, flit from place to place, struggle, fight, or flog.

Music: Music is integral to capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of game that is to be played within the roda. The music is composed of instruments and song. The tempos differ from very slow (Angola) to very fast (São Bento Regional).

Many of the songs are sung in a call and response format while others are in the form of a narrative. Capoeiristas sing about a wide variety of subjects. Some songs are about history or stories of famous capoeiristas. Other songs attempt to inspire players to play better.

Some songs are about what is going on within the roda. Sometimes the songs are about life, or love lost. Others are lighthearted or even silly things, sung just for fun. Capoeiristas change their playing style significantly as the songs or rhythm from the berimbau commands. In this manner, it is truly the music that drives capoeira.

There are three basic kinds of songs in capoeira. A ladainha (litany) is a narrative solo usually sung at the beginning of a roda, often by the Mestre (Master). These ladainhas will often be famous songs previously written by a Mestre, or they may be improvised on the spot. A ladainha is usually followed by a chula or louvação, following a call and response pattern that usually thanks God and one’s teacher, among other things. Each call is usually repeated word-for-word by the responders.

The ladainha and chula are often omitted in regional games. Finally, corridos are songs that are sung while a game is being played, again following the call and response pattern. The responses to each call do not simply repeat what was said, however, but change depending on the song.

The instruments are played in a row called the bateria. Three instruments are berimbaus, which look like an archer’s bow using a steel string and a gourd for resonance. It is played by striking the string with a stick, and the pitch is regulated by a stone. Legend has it that, in the old times, knives or other sharp objects were attached to the top of the berimbau for protection and in case a large fight broke out.

These three bows are the Berra boi (also called the bass or Gunga), Medio, Viola, and lead the rhythm. Other instruments in the bateria are: two pandeiros (tambourines), a Reco-Reco (rasp), and an Agogo (double gong bell).

The Atabaque (conga-like drum), a common feature in most capoeira baterias, is considered an optional instrument, and is not required for a full bateria in some groups.

The capoeira roda: The “roda” is the circle of people within which capoeira is played. People who make up the roda’s circular shape clap and sing along to the music being played for the two partners engaged in a capoeira “game” (“jogo”). In some capoeira schools an individual in the audience can “buy in” to engage one of the two players and begin another game.

The minimum roda size is usually a circle of about 3 metres (10 feet) in diameter. They are often larger, up to 10 metres in diameter (30 feet). The rhythm being played on the berimbau sets the pace of the game being played in the roda. Slow music limits the game to slow yet complex ground moves and handstands.

Hits usually aren’t made but feigned or just shown, although this depends directly on the rhythm played by the berimbaus. In some rhythms (e.g., Benguela) strikes are generally shown but not finished while in others (e.g., São Bentro Grande da Regional) the players have more freedom to strike each other. Slow games are often seen as finesse games, less impressive for the casual viewer. Faster music allows for more circular momentum which is key to gaining “big air” in the roda. Note, however, that it is the specific toque played on the berimbau, regardless of its speed, which dictates the type of game to be played.

For the participants, the roda is a microcosm of life and the world around them. Most often in the roda, the capoeirista’s greatest opponent is himself. Philosophy plays a large part in capoeira and the best teachers strive to teach Respeito (Respect), Responsabilidade (Responsibility), Segurança (Safety Security), Malicia (Cleverness Street-smarts), and Liberdade (Liberty Freedom).

Modern capoeira is often criticized by more traditional practitioners of capoeira as being in the process of losing its “playfulness” and dialogue, in the sense that many capoeiristas tend to focus more on impressive acrobatics or the martial elements than the playful interaction with the other player in the roda. Dominance in the roda is as much psychological and artistic as it is a question of who winds up tumbling to the floor.

Capoeira is uniquely social. Networking with other groups and students from other teachers can teach a capoeirista more about the art and improve their skills.

The Jogo: Capoeira does not focus on injuring the opponent. Rather, it emphasizes skill. Capoeiristas often prefer to show the movement without completing it, enforcing their superiority in the roda. If an opponent cannot dodge a slow attack, there is no reason to use a faster one. Each attack that comes in gives players a chance to practice an evasive technique.

Ginga: The ginga (literally: rocking back and forth; to swing) is the fundamental movement in capoeira. Capoeira Angola and capoeira regional have distinctive forms of ginga. Both are accomplished by maintaining both feet approximately shoulder-width apart and then moving one foot backwards and then back to the base, describing a triangular ’step’ on the ground. This movement is done to prepare the body for other movements.

The rest of the body is also involved in the ginga: coordination of the arms (in such a way as to prevent the body from being kicked), torso (many core muscles may be engaged depending on the player’s style), and the leaning of the body (forward and back in relation to the position of the feet; the body leans back to avoid kicks, and forward to create opportunities to show attacks). The overall movement should match the rhythm being played by the bateria.

Attacks: Capoeira primarily attacks with kicks, sweeps, and head strikes. Some schools teach punches and hand strikes, but they are not as common. Some scholars have speculated that this is because the art was originally developed by handcuffed slaves fighting against their guards but this is highly unlikely as slaves were just as often restrained by the feet and/or neck. Another, more probable explanation for the primary use of feet is the common West African belief that hands are for creation and feet for destruction.

Elbow strikes are commonly used in place of hand strikes. “Cabeçada” or Headbutts are common- as they are in many of the fighting arts of the African Diaspora. Knee strikes are sometimes seen. Capoeira also uses acrobatic and athletic movements to maneuver around the opponent. Cartwheels called “aú” (a very common acrobatic movement), handstands (bananeira), headspins (pião de cabeça), hand-spins (pião de mão), hand-springs (gato), sitting movements, turns, jumps, flips (mortal), and large dodges are all very common in capoeira though vary greatly depending on the form and rhythm. Fakes and feints are also an extremely important element in capoeira games and the setting of “traps” or illusory movements are very common.

Defenses: Capoeira defenses consists of evasive moves and rolls. A series of ducks called esquivas, which literally means “escape”, are also staple of a capoeiristas’ defensive vocabulary. There are typically different esquivas for every step of the Ginga, depending on the direction of the kick and intention of the defender.

A common defense is the rolê, which is a rolling move that combines a duck and a low movement. This move allows the defensive player to quickly evade an attack and position themselves around the aggressor in order to lay up for an attack. It is this combination of attacks and defense which gives a game of capoeira its perceived ‘fluidity’ and choreography.

Other evasive moves such as rasteira, vingativa, tesoura de mão or queda allow the capoeirista to move away or dangerously close in an attempt to trip up the aggressor in the briefest moment of vulnerability (usually in a mid-kick.)

Combinations: There are also styles of moves that combine both elements of attack and defense. An example is the au batido. The move begins as an evasive cartwheel which then turns into a blocking/kick, either as a reflexive response to a blocking move from the opposing player or when an opportunity to do so presents itself, e.g., at an opponent’s drop of guard. Two kicks called meia lua de compasso and armada are usually combined to create a double spinning kick.

Chamada: The Chamada is a ritual that takes place within the game of Capoeira Angola. Chamada means ‘call’, and consists of one player ‘calling’ their opponent to participate in the ritual. There is an understood dialogue of gestures of the body that are used to call the opponent, and to signal the end of the ritual.

The ritual consists of one player signalling, or calling the opponent, who then approaches the player and meets the player to walk side by side within the roda. The player who initiated the ritual then decides when to signal an end to the ritual, whereby the two players return to normal play.

The critical points of the chamada occur during the approach, and the chamada is considered a ‘life lesson’, communicating the fact that the approach is a dangerous situation. Approaching people, animals, or life situations is always a critical moment when one must be aware of the danger of the situation. The purpose of the chamada is to communicate this lesson, and to enhance the awareness of people participating in the ritual.

During the ritual, after the opposing player has appropriately approached the caller of the chamada, the players walk side by side inside the circle in which the game is played. This is another critical situation, because both players are now very vulnerable due to the close proximity and potential for surprise attack.

Experienced practitioners and masters of the art will sometimes test a student’s awareness by suggesting strikes, head-butts, or trips during a chamada to demonstrate when the student left themselves open to attack. The end of a chamada is called by the player that initiated the ritual, and consists of a gesture inviting the player to return to normal play. This is another critical moment when both players are vulnerable to surprise attack.

The chamada can result in a highly developed sense of awareness and helps practitioners learn the subtleties of anticipating another person’s intentions. The chamada can be very simple, consisting solely of the basic elements, or the ritual can be quite elaborate including a competitive dialogue of trickery, or even theatric embellishments.

Olta ao mundo: Volta ao mundo means ‘around the world’. The volta ao mundo takes place after an exchange of movements has reached a conclusion, or after there has been a disruption in the harmony of the game. In either of these situations, one player will begin walking around the perimeter of the circle, and the other player will join the ‘around the world’ before returning to the normal game.

Malandragem: As students master the basic moves, their game naturally acquires a more cunning slant as they begin to perfect the art of trickery, or malandragem. This involves a lot of improvisation and modifications of basic moves into a flurry of feints and fakes to trick the opponent into responding wrongly.

These attempts can be blatant or subtle at discretion of the players. Effective malandragem lies in the development of sharp observation skills and a keen innate ability to anticipate the moves of the opponent and prepare an appropriate response. Some capoeiristas take this aspect of the art to heights akin to the guile of theatrics and drama. Games displaying elaborate performances and even staging skits reenacting historic cultural aspects of capoeira are commonly demonstrated amongst the most learned of the arts.

Styles of capoeira: Capoeira has two main classifications: traditional and modern. Angola refers to the traditional form of the game. This is the oldest form, approximately 500 years old, with roots in African traditions that are even older, and is the root form from which all other forms of capoeira are based. Modern forms of capoeira can be classified as Regional and Contemporanea.

Capoeira Angola: Capoeira Angola is considered to be the mother form of capoeira and is often characterized by deeply held traditions, sneakier movements and with the players playing their games in closer proximity to each other than in regional or contemporanea. Capoeira Angola is often mis-characterized as being slower and lower to the ground than other major forms of capoeira. However, this is a common misperception as some of the fastest and intriguing games can be found in Capoeira Angola rodas.

The father of the best known modern Capoeira Angola schools is considered to be Mestre Pastinha who lived in Salvador, Bahia. Today, most of the capoeira Angola media that is accessible in the United States comes from mestres in Pastinha’s lineage. He was not the only Capoeira Angola mestre. However, he is the best known mestre who helped bring more traditional Capoeira philosophy and movements into the modern setting of an academy.

Capoeira Regional: Regional is a newer form of Capoeira. Regional was developed by Mestre Bimba to make capoeira more mainstream and accessible to the public, and less associated with the criminal elements of Brazil. The regional style is most often composed of fast and athletic play.

Later, so called modern regional came to be (see the next section about capoeira Contemporânea). Developed by other people from Bimba’s regional, this type of game is characterized by high jumps, acrobatics, and spinning kicks. This regional should not be confused with the original style created by Mestre Bimba.

Regional ranks capoeiristas (capoeira players) by ability, denoting different skill with the use of a corda (colored rope, also known as cordel or cordão) worn as a belt. Angola does not use such a formal system of ranking, relying instead upon the discretion of a student’s mestre. In both forms, though, recognition of advanced skill comes only after many years of constant practice.

Capoeira Contemporânea: Contemporânea is a term for groups that train multiple styles of capoeira simultaneously. Very often a students of Capoeira Contemporânea train elements of Regional and Angola as well as newer movements that would not fall under either of those styles.

This is controversial because many practitioners argue that Angola must be practiced alone, or that regional can only be practiced alone for the student to truly understand the form of the game. Other practitioners argue that a capoeirista should have a working knowledge of traditional and modern capoeira, and encourage training both forms simultaneously. This is an issue of great disagreement amongst capoeiristas.

The label contemporânea also applies to many groups who do not trace their lineage through Mestre Bimba or Mestre Pastinha and do not strongly associate with either tradition.

In recent years, the various philosophies of modern capoeira have been expressed by the formation of schools, particularly in North America, which focus on, and continue to develop their specific form of the modern art. This has become a defining characteristic of many schools, to the point that a seasoned student can sometimes tell what school a person trains from, based solely on the way they play the game. Some schools teach a blended version of the many different styles. Traditionally, rodas in these schools will begin with a period of Angola, in which the school’s mestre, or an advanced student, will sing a ladainha, (a long, melancholy song, often heard at the start of an Angola game). After some time, the game will eventually increase in tempo, until, at the mestre’s signal, the toque of the berimbaus changes to that of traditional Regional.

Each game, Regional and Angola stresses different strengths and abilities. Regional emphasizes speed and quick reflexes, whereas Angola underscores a great deal of thought given to each move, almost like a game of chess. Schools that teach a blend of these try to offer this mix as a way of using the strengths of both games to influence a player.

Links:

Koenigsegg 2008 Cars Photos and Wallpapers

Posted in Sites, Sports on Mar 3rd, 2008 | Comments Off

Koenigsegg Automotive AB (sometimes mispronounced as “Konechi”) is a Swedish manufacturer of high-performance cars based initially in Olofström, later moving to Margretetorp, just outside Ängelholm. The Koenigsegg CCXR developes 1020 horsepower resulting in a top speed of almost 250 miles per hour (400 km/h). The CCXR is among the fastest production cars in the world.

On 28 February 2005, at 12:08 hrs local time, in Nardò, Italy, the CCR broke the record for the fastest road legal car in the world, having attained 388.87 km/h (242.91 mph), breaking the record previously held by the McLaren F1. The record was held until September 2005 when the long awaited Bugatti Veyron broke the record again at 407.5 km/h (253 mph), proven by Car and Driver and BBC Top Gear.

However, Bugatti’s record was set on Volkswagen’s own test-track Ehra-Lessien, which features a 9 km (5.6 mi) long straight. Since the Nardò Ring is a circular 12.5 km (just under 7.8 miles) long track, the records are not comparable until Bugatti tests the Veyron on Nardò or allows Koenigsegg to test on Ehra-Lessien.

In May 2003, on the San Francisco to Miami Gumball 3000 Rally, the first CCR in the United States received the biggest speeding ticket (in terms of speed) in the world; 242 mph (389 km/h) in a 75 mph (121 km/h) zone somewhere in west Texas.

The Koenigsegg CCX is a mid-engined roadster from Swedish car manufacturer Koenigsegg, to replace the Koenigsegg CCR.

CCX is an abbreviation for Competition Coupe X, the X commemorating the 10th anniversary, being the Roman numeral for ten, of the completion and test drive of the first CC vehicle in 1996.

The CCX is intended to be suitable for the United States market and thus engineered to comply with US regulations. A base model CCX costs approximately US$540,000 (€370,000) but with all optional extras the car costs US$610,000 (€415,000).

[wp_youtube]klVusrcAGKc[/wp_youtube]

The CCX was first unveiled on February 28, 2006 at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show although its existence was announced earlier. The CCX is also available as the CCXR, the difference being that CCXR’s engine is tuned to run on biofuel. The different fuel and tune allows the CCXR to produce 25% more power than the CCX.

It should be noted that the official specs or the CCX and CCXR (as well as the CCR) have been greatly understated by as much as 200 bhp this also means that the acceleration can be as much as 0.5 seconds faster than stated. this has been done on purpose due to trade tariffs and marketing standards in different countries.

Development: Koenigsegg began the CCX project with the aim of entering the world market, though particularly the United States car market. Development engineer Magnus Jaasund said “We wanted to go into the world market, but we couldn’t do it with the old car.” To sell cars to the North American market many alterations were made to the design of the CCR; the previously used Ford Modular engine was replaced by a Koenigsegg engine designed to run on 91 octane fuel, readily available in the United States, and to meet the Californian emission standards.

The front bumper of the CCX is designed to be safer in low speed collisions than previous Koenigseggs and the whole body is 3.46 in (88 millimeters) longer to comply with the United States’ rear impact regulations. Additionally the CCX can display United States or European number plates.

The CCX is 1.61 in (41 millimeters) taller than the CCR and, combined with the carbon fiber reinforced plastic sports seats by Sparco, the CCX allows for 1.97 in (50 millimeters) of extra headroom that Autoweek reviewer Mark Vaughn hypothesises is “to accommodate U.S. NBA stars.” The electronic control unit has also received an upgrade over the CCR meaning that the CCX is without physical fuses and it is lighter than the previous system.

Performance: The CCX can accelerate from stationary to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds and 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) in 7.7 seconds. It can complete a standing quarter mile in 9.9 seconds with an end speed of 146 miles per hour (235 km/h). According to Koenigsegg it has a top speed of 245 miles per hour (395 km/h), but it has not officially been tested on a long enough straight to confirm its maximum speed. The CCX has a turning circle of 36 ft 1.1 in (11 meters) and can turn at 1.3 lateral gs (13 m/s²).

Engine: While the previous Koenigseggs were powered by a V8 Ford Modular engine sourced from the U.S., the engine of the CCX was designed by Koenigsegg based on the Ford Modular engine architecture, and assembled for them by Grainger & Worrall, a British company that produces drivetrain components for Formula One cars.

The engine is a 4.7 liter (4712 cc, 287 cu in) V8, with dual overhead camshafts and 4 valves per cylinder. The engine block is made of 356 Aluminium that has undergone a T7 heat treatment, a form of accelerated precipitation strengthening. The aluminium alloy is stronger than the previous engine and allows a thinner, thus lighter, engine block with higher pressures in the cylinders.

The engine is boosted by two centrifugal superchargers that increase the compression to 17.5 psi (120 kPa) with an 8.2:1 compression ratio. The engine produces 806 bhp (601 kW) at 6900 rpm and 678 lbf·ft (920 newton meters) of torque at 5700 rpm on 91 octane (U.S. rating) gasoline. The engine is lubricated with a dry sump system with a separate oil pump, the pistons are cooled by oil sprayed onto them and the oil itself has an external cooler. The CCX engine burns 14 mpg–U.S. / 17 mpg–imp (17 Liters per 100 kilometers).

Exterior: The Koenigsegg CCX is a two-door targa top and the removable roof can be stored under the front trunk meaning that, unlike many of its competitors, it can be changed at any location, not only one where the roof can be safely left. The body, made of pre-impregnated carbon fibre and Kevlar, is 169 in (4293 millimeters) long, 78.6 in (1996 millimeters) wide and 44.1 in (1120 millimeters) tall with a ground clearance of 3.9 in (100 millimeters).

As with all previous Koenigseggs the “dihedral synchro-helix” actuation doors rotate forward and upwards similar to scissor doors though the Koenigsegg design avoids the problem of the open door obscuring the passenger’s entry or exit.

The car has a frontal area of 20.096 sq ft (1.867 square metres) but a drag coefficient of just 0.3. It also has a flat underside with venturi tunnels at the rear and an optional carbon rear spoiler to improve aerodynamics. Between the 2 speedster humps (humps behind the seats) is a vortex generator used as a ram-air intake that allows higher pressure in the air box without a roof scoop that would increase the frontal area. At 125 mph (200 kilometres per hour) there is 132 lbf (60 kilograms) of downforce over the front axle and 143 lbf (65 kilograms) over the rear.

Transmission: The CCX has a six speed manual gearbox made for Koenigsegg by Cima with a twin plate clutch of diameter 8.46 in (215 millimeters) as default but a sequential manual transmission option is available. The power is fed to the wheels through a torque sensitive, limited slip differential. The option to select gear ratios is available, but the default ratios of the 2007 CCX are in the table.

Wheels and brakes: The standard CCX wheels are Koenigsegg’s magnesium alloy wheels, though the option to upgrade to carbon/magnesium wheels which each weigh 6.6 lb (3 kg) less than the standard wheels is available. The front wheels have a diameter of 19 in (480 millimeters) and the rear, 20 in (510 millimeters).

Each of the wheels is attached by center locking wheel nuts. The car comes with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 unidirectional tires with asymmetric tread. The front tires have codes of 255/35 Y19 and the rear 335/30 Y20.

The front and rear cast iron disc brakes are 14 in (362 millimeters) across with 1.25 in (32 millimeters) of contact at any point and have 6 piston calipers. The brakes can be upgraded to carbon ceramic brakes which weigh 4.4 lb (2 kilograms) less per wheel, a diameter of 15 in (380 millimeters) with 1.34 in (34 millimeters) of contact and eight piston brake calipers.

Top Gear: The Koenigsegg CCX was the fastest car to complete a lap of the BBC Top Gear circuit for 18 months, in a time of 1 minute 17.6 seconds. It originally went around the course in 1:20.4, but was then fitted with a non-standard rear spoiler to provide downforce, after The Stig spun the original version off the track.

The Stig purportedly recommended this modification, correctly predicting that the car would then be the fastest ever round Top Gear’s track. Koenigsegg themselves state that the improvement was due to adjustments other than the spoiler (eg. changes to the adjustable chassis and suspension settings).

The Koenigsegg CCX was passed by the Caparo T1 on the November 11, 2007 show, but Clarkson took it off the board, saying “You know the rules, James.

If a car can’t go over a sleeping policeman, it can’t go on that board.” This refers to Top Gear’s rule that any car on the board must be able to go over a normal speed bump, something the Caparo would be unable to do because of its low nose.

The Caparo was then taken off, and the Koensigsegg CCX remained the fastest road legal car for the next month until it was beaten by the Ascari A10 with a time of 1:17.3

CCXR: The Koenigsegg CCXR is an “environmentally-friendly” version CCX powered by essentially the same twin-supercharged V8 engine but converted to use E85 ethanol fuel. The engine tune in the CCXR is more powerful than that of the CCX, putting out 1018 bhp (760 kW) at 7200 rpm and 781.8 ft·lb (1060 N·m) of torque at 6100 rpm, 25% more power than the CCX, also making it the second most powerful production car in the world, behind the SSC Ultimate Aero TT.

Christian von Koenigsegg said that “Our engineers couldn’t quite believe the figures when we tested the car”. The increased power is a result of the cooling properties of ethanol in the engine’s combustion chambers allowing for a higher pressure in the cylinder and the biofuel having a higher octane rating of 113 RON compared to 95 RON for gasoline in North America and 100 RON for gasoline in Europe, although the CCXR burns slightly more fuel than the CCX with 15 mpg (17L/100km).

The only changes to the engine are modified fuel injectors, upgraded fuel lines and piston rings and a higher boost setting on the superchargers. Koenigsegg stated that CCX owners will be able to have their cars converted to the same engine specification as the CCXR for approximately US$100,000 (€80,000) extra, although the CCX remains available for purchase as biofuel for the CCXR may not be available in some locations. Behind closed doors the CCXR has achieved 420 Kph (261 Mph) and will be attempting to officially set the record sometime in 2008

Links:

Ferrari Cars new Photos and Wallpapers

Posted in Sites, Sports on Mar 2nd, 2008 | Comments Off

Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello and Modena, Italy.

Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A..

Throughout its history, the company has been noted for its continued participation in racing, especially in Formula One, where it has largely enjoyed great success, especially during the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, late 1990s, and 2000s.

After years of financial struggles, Enzo Ferrari sold the company’s sports car division to the Fiat group in 1969 to ensure continued financial backing.

Enzo Ferrari retained control of the racing division until his death in 1988 at the age of 90. Earlier that year he had overseen the launch of the Ferrari F40; the last new Ferrari to be launched before his death.

Ferrari also has an internally managed merchandising line that licenses many products bearing the Ferrari brand, including eyewear, pens, pencils, perfume, clothing, high-tech bicycles, cell phones, and even laptop computers. Financial Times named Ferrari number one on its 2007 list of the 100 Best Workplaces in Europe.

[wp_youtube]h015nILLNjQ[/wp_youtube]

The first Ferrari road car was the 1947 125 S, powered by a 1.5 L V12 engine; Enzo Ferrari reluctantly built and sold his automobiles to fund the Scuderia. While his beautiful and fast cars quickly gained a reputation for excellence, Enzo maintained a famous distaste for his customers, most of whom he felt were buying his cars for the prestige and not the performance.

Ferrari road cars, noted for styling by design houses like Pininfarina, have long been one of the ultimate accessories for the wealthy. Other design houses that have done work for Ferrari over the years include Scaglietti, Bertone, Touring, Ghia, and Vignale.

In 2005, four universities were granted the opportunity to design the next vehicle line-up for Ferrari in a student competition named ‘Ferrari Concepts of the Myth’. Twenty winners were allowed to show off their concepts in a ¼ scale model and present their work to the board at Ferrari to allow for three winners to have the chance to work in the Ferrari design studio at Maranello.

As of 2007, the Fiat Group owns 85% of Ferrari, Mubadala 5%, and Enzo’s son Piero 10%. Fiat has shelved plans for an IPO because Fiat Auto has now returned to profitability, thus removing pressure from the group.

In late 2007, construction began on the theme park Ferrari World in the United Arab Emirates, the first theme park based on and utilizing the Ferrari brand.

Sports car racing: In 1949, Luigi Chinetti drove a 166M to Ferrari’s first win in motorsports, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Ferrari went on to dominate the early years of the World Sportscar Championship which was created in 1953, winning the Manufacturers Championship seven out of its first nine years.

When the championship changed formats in 1962, Ferrari earned championships in at least one class until 1966, then again in 1968. Ferrari would win one final championship in 1972 before Enzo decided to leave sports car racing and concentrate Scuderia Ferrari solely on Formula One.

During Ferrari’s seasons of the World Sportscar Championship, they also gained more wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with the factory team earning their first in 1954.

Another win would come in 1958 before they began a streak of five straight wins from 1960 to 1964. Luigi Chinetti’s North American Racing Team (NART) would take Ferrari’s final victory at Le Mans in 1965.

Although Scuderia Ferrari no longer participated in sports cars after 1973, they have occasionally built various successful sports cars for privateers. These include the 512BB/LM in the 1970s, the 333 SP which won the IMSA GT Championship in the 1990s, and currently the F430 GT2 and GT3 which are currently winning championships in their respective classes.

Formula One: The Scuderia joined the Formula One World Championship in the first year of its existence, 1950. José Froilán González gave the team its first victory at the 1951 British Grand Prix.

Alberto Ascari gave Ferrari its first Drivers Championship a year later. Ferrari is the oldest team left in the championship, not to mention the most successful: the team holds nearly every Formula One record. As of 2007, the team’s records include 15 World Drivers Championship titles (1952, 1953, 1956, 1958, 1961, 1964, 1975, 1977, 1979, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007) 15 World Constructors Championship titles (1961, 1964, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1982, 1983, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007), 201 Grand Prix victories, 4753.27 points, 603 podium finishes, 195 pole positions, 12,489 laps led, and 205 fastest laps in 758 Grands Prix contested.

Notable Ferrari drivers include Tazio Nuvolari, Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Chinetti, Alberto Ascari, Wolfgang von Trips, Phil Hill, Olivier Gendebien, Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins, John Surtees, Lorenzo Bandini, Ludovico Scarfiotti, Jacky Ickx, Mario Andretti, Niki Lauda, Carlos Reutemann, Jody Scheckter, Gilles Villeneuve, Didier Pironi, Michele Alboreto, Gerhard Berger, Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Jean Alesi, Eddie Irvine, Rubens Barrichello, Michael Schumacher, Kimi Räikkönen, and Felipe Massa.

The Scuderia Ferrari drivers for the 2006 F1 season were Michael Schumacher and Felipe Massa. At the end of the 2006 season the team courted controversy by continuing to allow Marlboro to sponsor them after they, along with the other F1 teams, made a promise to end sponsorship deals with tobacco manufacturers. A five year deal worth a reported $500 million was agreed.

The drivers that are competing in 2007 are Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen. Räikkönen went on to win the drivers championship, with Massa finishing 4th.

List of models: Until the early 1980s, Ferrari followed a three-number naming scheme based on engine displacement:

  • V6 and V8 models used the total displacement (in decilitres) for the first two digits and the number of cylinders as the third. Thus, the 206 was a 2.0 L V6 powered vehicle, while the 348 used a 3.4 L V8, although, for the F355, the last digit refers to 5 valves per cylinder. Upon introduction of the 360 Modena, the digits for V8 models (which now carried a name as well as a number) refer only to total engine displacement. The numerical indication aspect of this name has carried on to the current V8 model, the F430.
  • V12 models used the displacement (in cubic centimetres) of one cylinder. Therefore, the famed 365 Daytona had a 4390 cc V12. However, some newer V12-engined Ferraris, such as the 599, have three-number designations that refer only to total engine displacement.
  • Flat 12 (boxer) models used the displacement in litres. Therefore, the 512BB was five litre flat 12 (a Berlinetta Boxer, in this case). However, the original Berlinetta Boxer was the 365 GT4 BB, which was named in a similar manner to the V12 models.
  • Some models, such as the 1980 Mondial and the 1984 Testarossa did not follow a three-number naming scheme.

Most Ferraris were also given designations referring to their body style. In general, the following conventions were used:

  • M standing for “Modificata,” this suffix placed at the end of a model’s number denotes that it is a modified version of its predecessor and not a complete evolution (see F512M and 575M Maranello).
  • GTB models are closed Berlinettas, or coupes.
  • GTS in older models, are open Spyders (spelt “y”), or convertibles (see 365 GTS4); however, in more recent models, this suffix is used for targa top models (see Dino 246 GTS, and F355 GTS; the exception being the 348 TS, which is the only targa named differently). The convertible models now use the suffix “Spider” (spelt “i”) (see F355 Spider, and 360 Spider).

This naming system can be confusing, as some entirely different vehicles used the same engine type and body style. Many Ferraris also had other names affixed (like Daytona) to identify them further. Many such names are actually not official factory names.

The Daytona name commemorates Ferrari’s triple success in the February 1967 24 Hours of Daytona with the 330P4. Only in the 1973 Daytona 24h, a 365 GTB4 model run by N.A.R.T. (North American Racing Team, who raced Ferrari’s in America) scored 2nd—behind a Porsche 911.

The various Dino models were named for Enzo’s son, Dino Ferrari, and are not formally Ferraris, though are to all intents and purposes considered so.

In the mid 1990s, Ferrari added the letter “F” to the beginning of all models (a practice abandoned after the F512M and F355, but adopted again with the F430).

Links:

Page 3 of 612345...Last »