Machine

A machine is a tool containing one or more parts that uses energy to perform an intended action. Machines are usually powered by mechanical, chemical, thermal, or electrical means, and are often motorized. Historically, a power tool also required moving parts to classify as a machine. However, the advent of electronics has led to the development of power tools without moving parts that are considered machines.

A simple machine is a device that simply transforms the direction or magnitude of a force, but a large number of more complex machines exist. Examples include vehicles, electronic systems, molecular machines, computers, television, and radio.

Etymology

The word machine derives from the Latin word machina, which in turn derives from the Greek (Doric μαχανά makhana, Ionic μηχανή mekhane "contrivance, machine, engine", a derivation from μῆχος mekhos "means, expedient, remedy").

A wider meaning of "fabric, structure" is found in classical Latin, but not in Greek usage.

This meaning is found in late medieval French, and is adopted from the French into English in the mid-16th century.

Machine (film)

Machine is a 2007 action movie starring James Russo and Neal McDonough.

Plot

Ex special forces mercenary and now hardened criminal Vic, (Michael Lazar) lives in a world of cons, double crosses, crooked cops, mob bosses and drug dealing crime lords. Playing by his own rules, Vic and his partner Frank (Paul Sloan) work both sides of the street, caring only about where they can score and take down the most cash. After a dangerous shootout during a drug deal gone bad, Vic finds himself working for ruthless crime boss Paul Santo (Nick Vallelonga). Santo's being indicted for murder, and he enlists Vic and Frank to kill the three witnesses that will testify against him. Watching Vic's every move is Santo's strongest soldier, Ray, (Michael Madsen) a stone cold killer, who would like nothing better than to whack Vic and Frank the moment his boss gives him the okay. As the Asian proverb says, "In the shadow of every crime is a woman" and that holds true for Vic as his grifter girlfriend Thea (Lisa Arturo) and Frank's ex, the exotic, sultry, Layla (Michele Lombardo) have their own agendas as they both try in their own way to use and manipulate their men. As Vic tries to juggle all this as well as kill the witnesses to pay off his debt to Santo, and at the same time avoid Ray's wrath, he is pursued by crooked vice cop Ford (Neal McDonough) who's relentless as he turns up the heat on Vic and Frank. On top of all this, it doesn't help that Asian crime lord, Cho (Garret Sato) and his henchman Butch (James Russo) are applying their own brand of pressure on Vic and Frank. They want to take out Santo and Ray, using Vic and Frank as pawns in their game of revenge and murder. In the end, Vic settles all scores as these competing factions come crashing together in the violent, action packed climax.

Artension

Artension was a North American neo-classical progressive metal band, founded in 1993 by keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij.

History

It was sometime in '92/'93, when Vitalij Kuprij, who was studying classical music in Switzerland at that time, met Roger Staffelbach, a Swiss guitarist who was also studying at the Jazz School in Lucerne.

They soon founded their band "Atlantis Rising", which played several instrumental gigs in Switzerland. After having recorded some demos, they got in touch with Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records, who showed great interest in the band but suggested to add some vocal lines to their songs.

Vitalij had already known stunning drummer Mike Terrana from one of Yngwie Malmsteen's tours. His friend, bassist Kevin Chown, also joined the band and enriched their sound with solid experience and great musicianship, and Artension was born.

Mike Varney introduced Vitalij and Roger to several musicians, one of them being John West, whose soaring vocals, along with Vitalij's and Roger's lightning-fast solos, became the trademark for Artension's neo-classical and aggressive music.