As The World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides

Is there a connection between sleuth Valerie Plame and Greece? If you read her book, Plame-gate you’ll know that there is. A big connection at that! The bombshell CIA agent whose identity uncovering caused ripples in the Bush White House was just 26 when she arrived in Greece, according to chapter 2 of her much-discussed tome. That second chapter of her very interesting book is in its entirety devoted to her life-and deeds-in Athens the Spring of 1989 when she rented an apartment in the northern suburbs as she assumed her first mission outside the US-officially as a simple clerk of the Embassy of her country-until 1992 when she was sent packing after the November 17 organization got her identity straight. To be sure, what with the business people, the foreign diplomats, the offices of Palestinian and Middle Eastern organizations, what with her ties with Egyptian and other Arab characters, the easy targets of terrorists and Greece’s extensive coastal lines, that nation was a significant first assignment for the beautiful spy. What the, was Valerie Plame doing in Athens? Her assignment in plain words was to “find sources of information, to recruit agents who would aid the US Government to digest, to foresee and to influence in a more comprehensive way the political developments in Greece.”… The late and former NYC mayor Edward Koch practiced his own brand of Judaism that was, mixed with a deep, abiding respect for Christianity.” “He attended Mass. He believes that God hears prayers if they are in Greek, Latin or Hebrew.

The Esperia Palace is just one of the 41 hotels in Attica that have shut down over the last three years, according to data presented early February by the chief of the local hoteliers’ association, Alexandros Vassilikos, reflecting the extent of the problems being suffered by the capital’s tourism industry. The data showed that the decline in occupancy at Attica hotels amounted to 13.4 percent last year compared with 2011, while prices have dropped by 7.8 percent year-on-year.

Crain's New York Business held a discussion panel on February 6^th at the JW Marriott Essex House, NY, comprised of New York State Senators Dean G. Skelos and Jeffrey D. Klein to hear them discuss details of how the Senate's Republican-Democrat power-sharing agreement will be executed and what happens when the two Senate presidents disagree…..The international food and wine exhibitions DETROP and OENOS, respectively, will be hosted by exhibition organizer HELEXPO in Thessaloniki on March 7-10. DETROP is a food, beverages, machinery and equipment exhibition and OENOS is wine exhibition and both are aimed at promoting the sectors' private companies in foreign markets.....HSBC Bank, a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, said it has reached an agreement to sell its 73 pct equity stake in HSBC Mutual Funds Asset Management to Ioannis Vezanis, current chief executive of HSBC Mutual Funds Asset Management, owner over the remaining 27 pct in the company... Senator Michael Gianaris said, “Constant service disruptions, a lack of service change notifications and increased commuter expenses due to limited free transfers make clear that the MTA treats the G train like the ugly duckling of its system. As the only train that directly connects Queens and Brooklyn, the G is a lifeline for those New Yorkers who travel between the two boroughs. It should provide commuters with direct, convenient access between Queens and Brooklyn, rather than forcing travel through Manhattan to get from one borough to the other.” ….Dimitris Panagiotopoulos is the name of the Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble, born in Tanzania, Africa, and who speaks perfect Swahili….An AHI Dinner  on March 9^th in the nation’s capital honored, Ambassador Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Philip Christopher and others while HAC is honoring the same ambassador–among others-in LA on March 30^th with the Aristeio Award . Needless to say that AHI stands for American Hellenic Institute, while HAC stands for Hellenic American Council. The only comment I wish to make here is adding to what the reason given for the honor, which is saving the Olympics in Greece. Or on second thought, not adding at all…

The Libra Group is a global conglomerate, which has 23 offices across four continents and operating subsidiaries focused principally on aviation, shipping, real estate, hospitality and renewable energy. Students will be placed with one of Libra Group's subsidiaries around the world. Students in four-year degree programs in North America are encouraged to apply by submitting a completed application, two letters of recommendation, and official college transcripts to the Greek America Foundation at www.greekamerica.org/libra-internship. Internships are also available to students at the American College of Greece, Athens. The "cousins" are back! Chicago's Greek Media Club hosted a private, invitation-only event Thursday February 28, 2013 at Chicago's premiere art gallery, Hilligoss Galleries, located on the world famous "Magnificent Mile."  . Wine, cheese and  light appetizers were served. Sneak preview of Chicago landscapes by internationally recognized portrait artist Nikolai Blokhin Also, current exhibit of the works of Matt Lamb!

 

American Airlines has announced that its planes will get new paint jobs and a fresh logo, and flight attendants will get brand-new uniforms as well. The new outfits will be designed by Kaufman Franco, which has dressed such celebrities as Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez and Halle Berry. Now speaking of Aniston, you must know that she has signed on to be the new face for Aveeno skincare. There had been rumors that the former Friends star could become a model for the US brand, but the news has only just been confirmed. "We can confirm that Jennifer Aniston will be partnering with Aveeno for skincare," her spokesperson Stephen Huvane told E! News. "You can expect to see the results of this collaboration later this year," he added. Jennifer, who has appeared in campaigns for SmartWater, L'Oreal hair care and her own eponymous fragrance, would be the label's most famous face, following previous Aveeno spokesmodels including All My Children actress Daniella van Grass….. …..Every time you hear Snow Patrol’s ‘Chasing Cars’ theme in Grey’s Anatomy you can thank music supervisor Alexandra Patsavas who set the tone for countless shows, from including Scandal, Suburgatory, and Mad Men. Alexandra, 44, after finishing the soundtrack for Warm Bodies, which premiered February 1^st, has gone back to her early years to create the music for The Carrie Diaries and sampling electronic music for The CW’s Cult. “I/m one of those lucky individuals” says Patsavas “ who were able to turn their passion into a vocation.”….. A’ is a feature film by Stathis Athanasiou inspired by the myth of Antigone raises questions regarding the contemporary meaning of the terms democracy, freedom, authority, free will, state. The story takes place in the near future in an urban environment where a faceless authority executes publicly ‘offenders’ or sends them in exile at the ‘Forest’, located beyond the electric fence that surrounds the city. The main characters are Alpha, a woman conformed to the oppressive way of living because of fear to react, and the Fugitive, a man who crosses over to the opposite side and is declared a ‘Terrorist’ by the institutionalized terror of the ruling Regime.

30 Rock star Tina Fey, looked elegant in an Oscar de la Renta frock, and had reason to smile -- she picked up the award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series from the Screen Actors Guild awards on 1/27, very important now that her show is no longer producing new episodes….Jenni Pulos, the star of “Flipping Out,” one of the most popular shows on television has been tapped to host the 2013 Gabby Awards in Hollywood this Memorial Day weekend. Jenni is a shining example of exactly what the Gabby Awards are all about. At her core she is a Greek American actress, comedian, writer, songwriter and producer. She also won Showtime at the Apollo, the legendary New York amateur talent contest, rapping her way to the top prize and even designs jewelry in her spare time. Jenni Pulos absolutely refuses the concept of a label. She’s well-known best as Jeff Lewis’ Executive Assistant (and softer half) on the hit Bravo TV reality show "Flipping Out," which is now in its sixth season. And this year, she will star again (and co-executive produce) together with Lewis, Bravo's second season of "Interior Therapy," a spin-off of "Flipping Out."

 

Patty Andrews, the last surviving member of the singing Andrews Sisters whose hits such as the rollicking “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B” and the poignant “I Can Dream, Can’t I?” captured the home-front spirit of World War II, died Wednesday. She was 94.Patty was the Andrews in the middle, the lead singer and chief clown, whose raucous jitterbugging delighted American servicemen abroad and audiences at home. She could also deliver sentimental ballads like “I’ll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time” with a sincerity that caused hardened GIs far from home to weep. Together they also did a Coca-Cola commercial song in the Greek language, that’s besides the one in English….. HelenaMaria performed at Valentine's Day 2013 Grand Opening of My Big Fat Greek Restaurant in Burbank, CA that benefits Project Hope for Greece and Family Services Agency of Burbank

The Athenaeum Intercontinental Hotel featured a number of romantic one-night stays for Valentine Day, with dinner, champagne and special cocktails in a variety of deluxe or club rooms Love Me Do in the Première & Bistrot Vienna. All that was available on February 14..  Stix, which soft-opened in Flatiron, is the newest restaurant cooking ethnically sourced meat and serving it in a fast-casual setting. Owner Stathis Antonakopoulos put a roster of meat and fish kebabs at the center of the menu, which also includes a variety of salads made with whole grains, a Greek yogurt bar, and a juice menu that includes flavors like carrot and sea buckthorn, and cucumber-apple with pine. Elsewhere, an ample-sounding coffee menu features espresso piccolos and correttos. These detours, it turns out, indicate serious pedigrees at work: Executive chef Nikolaos Stavrakakis worked at Noma, and Stefanos Domatiotis, who designed the coffee menu, was this year's Greek Barista Champion.. Check out the menu…..Avlee is the name of a new Greek restaurant in Brooklyn, which can accommodate no more than 25 patrons at the time…… There’s a restaurant in Greenpoint, NY that’s called Achilles Heel. No, Greek food it doesn’t serve but I thought you want to know….

 

Word of the Month: Ambivolent:From Gr. Aμφιβολία, Not sure, having reservations about an issue

Kali Parea, a Fun Group Made up

of Cherry Hill St. Thomas’ Seniors

by Bob Nicolaides

The group-appointed moderator Jerry Kαrapalidis indicated it was Nick Pappas’ turn to speak, so Nick peered over his writings. It was a poem he had scribbled the year before about the Kali Parea. He had implemented it with another he wrote recently on how to cure loneliness and he was now reading it to the old palikaria who gathered every Wednesday morning at the basement of the St. Thomas church in Cherry Hill, NJ to share a cup of coffee, cookies and an occasional liqueur. Strangely enough there were no interruptions when Nick was reading his stuff, which is not to say some of the old gents gave up the custom of this Greek trait called interruption.  

It isn’t anything bad however, the practice that is,  nothing beyond benevolent  impulse, for some of the Kali Parea members have so much to say within the two hour interval of the Wednesday gathering, that some even went as far as proposing that meetings were held twice a week so as to enjoy double the time. Why, at a recent meeting, celebrations went as far as listening to bouzouki music, compliments of bouzouki player Nicholas Hondros, and spirits got high enough for Thomas  Pousatis and Louie Choriatis for  the two seniors, that as if they were  youngsters got up and did a zeibekiko for the pleasure of the group.

At the same meeting even the history of Kali Parea’s inception was heard, as one of the pioneers of the group related  that it was by chance, after trying unsuccessfully to partake of an event, that two or three of them decided to go to the Moorestown Mall for a cup of coffee. It became tradition for them, being joined by another, then another and so on, until the group designated the church as the meeting place, since their number had ballooned to the point that one table for ten could no longer contain them. Today, Kali Parea is privileged to claim upward from forty members who religiously gather every Wednesday, as early as 10 am not only to share a cup of coffee with their peers, but to exchange stories, experiences, jokes that sometimes reach the limits of risqué, and to reminisce about the old times of their youth. 

There are times that this two hour gathering extends to a luncheon served by some of the resident cooks who prepare delicious sandwiches compliments of some of their Kali Parea colleagues, while other times, most members decide to make a group to visit a particular restaurant and break bread with their friends. There’s also an expert in the preparation of ghalaktoboureko who doesn’t miss an occasion to oblige his fellow members of the group. He is the Senior Citizen Organization of St. Thomas president  Pousatis. And often enough, the TV producer of the Greek Spirit TV show which now can be heard all the way to New York, George Burlotos, camera on hand, is there to record unforgettable moments of a lifetime.

Often members bring guests with them, young and old, who have something to say or is making a non-monetary contribution to the group, such as the son of George Kappatos who crafted a plaque immortalizing Kali Parea which was hung in the room where the group meets. He ended up with a citation plaque himself since he would think of accepting a pecuniary retribution.  There are occasional guests from other churches who come for ideas in the hope of fashioning their own Kali Parea.

Kali Parea is all about Camaraderie for some of the Senior Citizen organization members who want to remain active and close to their contemporaries, be they pals who worked with them helping the church or once colleagues in the place of employment.  One can surmise that seventy percent of the members are old hands in the dining industry who often had worked together creating special friendships. But there are retired-and some active- physicians among them, one psychologist to boot, two teachers, many WWII veterans, one of whom is an Okinawa campaign survivor and who now is a TV show producer. In addition  there is an editor, a former Superintendent Civil Engineer from California, a small craft pilot, an attorney, some skilled craftsmen as well as the group’s stand-up comic. This last one has earned this label for standing up every so often to tell a joke he just recalled in the midst of someone else’s time.

The make-up of the group is a swath representing most of the homeland, many of which come from the islands of Andros in the Aegean and Cephalonia in the Ionian, some from the island with the secret of longevity, Ikaria, but count in Cyprus in as well. Let’s not discount too, that philanthropy is in their bones, recently having donated $500 from their treasury to the St. Irene Philoptochos of this New Jersey church they belong to.

What does a regular session of Kali Parea sound like? Gathered around in close proximity to what would be considered as the Knights of the Square Table, the experts they are, take on the task of reviewing and analyzing the headlines of the National Herald, not to overlook poetry which is much part of the agenda, and the reading of essays authored by members, and that’s on top of the group’s sharing stories of nostalgia from the days of their youth, with a sprinkling of salty jokes to inject some laughter into the session. Regardless the interruptions, the meetings are structured and from the perspective of the seating arrangement, everyone gets their turn to speak, cued in by the group’s moderator.