Cretan Chronicles

It looks like Winter Solstice (a.k.a. Christmas) was a lot more fun in Ancient Greece.

From Wikipedia:

The Winter Solstice occurs exactly when the earth’s axial tilt is farthest away from the sun at its maximum of 23° 26′. Though the Winter Solstice lasts only an instant in time, the term is also colloquially used as Midwinter or contrastingly the first day of winter to refer to the day on which it occurs. More evident to those in high latitudes, this is the shortest day, and longest night, and the sun’s daily maximum position in the sky is the lowest. The seasonal significance of the Winter Solstice is in the reversal of the gradual lengthening of nights and shortening of days. Depending on the shift of the calendar, the winter solstice occurs around December 21 each year in the Northern Hemisphere, and June 20 in the Southern Hemisphere. Read the rest of this entry »

Glory Hallelujah! I found what I was looking for. Ecce moto! It’s an old iron barrel Royal Enfield Bullet 500, the classic type, no frills. This model hasn’t changed in over 50 years, they forgot to stop making them. The bike I bought is a 1999 model and is no longer available new since this year, due to new European regulations. It had been parked under a tree, covered with an old tarpaulin, for 2 years. That’s where I found it. There are some technical problems, none of which can’t be solved, but more than anything it needs some good care and polish. I can do that. It’s now at a service shop and I will officially take possession of it on Monday 13th of April. In the mean time I have some private matters to attend to. You can follow my restauration and tune-up project at a new site dedicated to this jewel at www.royal-enfield.gr

The Secretariat for Digital Planning of the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance, based on the success of the initiative to install free wireless broadband access points at Syntagma Square, Thissio (nearby Temple of Hephaestus), Kotzia Square and the National Research Foundation in Athens, and the very strong response of the public, will finance the creation of 279 new free wireless access points (WiFi hotspots) in municipalities, prefectures, regions, TEDK (Local Unions of Municipalities & Communities) and other locations across Greece. This is good news for the millions of tourists to Greece as well. Read the rest of this entry »

I know you all wished you were in Greece, but you’re not missing out on any nice weather right now. Or better put, the weather really sux, big time. It’s cold, and rainy, we had some hail today, in short, not something you’d really miss. What you are missing out on is the weather forecast, therefor I have included a sample of it below.

Her name is Petroula Kostidou and this is the real daily weather forecast, not some satire. This airs every evening at 20:57 on STAR, a popular commercial television channel here. Originally the weather forecast lasted 3 minutes. Due to popular demand it is going to be extended to 5 minutes, last I heard. I wonder why. Read the rest of this entry »

The idea was first launched in 1986 by then Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. The new international airport of Iraklio (HER) in Crete Kastelli, which will replace the existing airport “Nikos Kazantzakis” in Neas Alikarnassos, has officially entered the implementation phase. Over the next few days technical and environmental studies will be sent to the local authorities to begin consultation to be completed in six months. The new airport will become operational in 2014. The existing airport in Heraklion will be closed and the area of 278 hectares (687 acres) will be returned to local communities for a large urban regeneration plan. Read the rest of this entry »

Καλά Χριστούγεννα και Ευτυχισμένος ο Καινούριος Χρόνος – Geseknde Kersfees en ‘n gelukkige nuwe jaar – Feliz Navidad y Feliz Año Nuevo – Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo – Vesela Koleda i chestita nova godina! – Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou! – Sing Dan Fae Lok. Gung Hai Fat Choi – Shen Dan Kuai Le Xin Nian Yu Kuai – Shen tan jie kuai le. Hsin Nien Kuaile – Sretan Bozic – Stastne a vesele vanoce a stastny novy rok! – Glaedelig Jul og godt nyter – Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar – Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year – Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo! – Felican Kristnaskon kaj Bonan Novjaron! – Rõõmusaid jõulupühi ja head uut aastat! – Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar! – Maligayang Pasko – Hyvää joulua ja onnellista uutta vuotta! – Joyeux Noel et Bonne Année! – Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath yr! – Bo Nadal – Frohe Weihnachten und ein glückliches Neues Jahr! – Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou! – Kellemes karacsonyi uennepeket es boldog ujevet! – Gledhileg jol og farsflt komandi ar! – Selamat Hari Natal dan Selamat Tahun Baru! – Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah – Nollaig faoi shean agus faoi shonas duit agus bliain nua faoi mhaise dhuit! – Buon Natale e Felice Anno Nuovo! – Meri Kurisumasu soshite Akemashite Omedeto! – Priecigus Ziemsvetkus un Laimigu Jaungadu! – Linksmu Kaledu – Nixtieklek Milied tajjeb u is-sena t-tabja! – God Jul Og Godt Nytt Aar – Vesowe Boze Narodzeni – Feliz Natal e um Prospero Ano Novo – Craciun fericit si un an nou fericit – S nastupaiushchim Novym godom i s Rozhdestvom Khristovym! – Hristos se rodi – Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce – Vesele bozicne praznike in srecno novo leto – Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo – God Jul Och Ett Gott Nytt Ar – Noeliniz kutlu olsun ve yeni yilinis kutlu olsun! – Z novym rokom i s rizdvom Hrystovym! – Chuc mung nam moi va Giang Sinh vui ve – Nadolig Llawen a Blwyddyn Newydd Da.

By now everybody has heard about the riots in Greece. I’m not going into the senseless violence and spree of destruction that has swept over the country. Many news outlets, bloggers, tweeps have done that.

I’d like to pick up instead on the clamors for change that are heard all over the political spectrum. Change of the police, change of the justice system, change of the government. The incompetence, corruption, political clientelism in those areas are all getting blamed for the current state of affairs. While I think change is long overdue and would be more than welcome, I have the highest reservations about where this change must be applied. Read the rest of this entry »

You might remember how back in May of this year I wrote a little post titled How money works. That was at a time when many of us still believed that we were merely in a temporary economical “dip”. The article that I quoted and linked to should have convinced you that that was not the case, that we were all (except a few, those being the international bankers who were — and still are — the only ones to profit from a financial system that they themselves had created for their own advantage) at the peak of a roller coaster ride that from now on would only go downwards. And then, for lack of brakes, come crashing down in a big burning pile of metal and flesh (our flesh, that is). Read the rest of this entry »

Dear GOOGLE GODS,

We fall on our knees and plead to you (visualize Lively /plead animation here) for our impudence of writing to the President of the United States not realizing your omnipotence and might.

In an attempt to avoid your wrath and make peace, we commit to full disclosure of our communication with President Bush (forwarded below), the outgoing President of the United States. Read the rest of this entry »

Back in July I wrote about my new career as a kafeneion owner in the virtual world that Google launched under the moniker “Lively”. For those of you who don’t know, a kafeneion is a typical Greek gathering place where (mostly) men come together to have a coffee or rakí, read the newspaper, discuss the world at large and play some Tavli (Greek version of backgammon) or a game of cards. A perfect setting to be emulated in a virtual world. Read the rest of this entry »