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. 

 

 

As the World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides



Golden Globes: Fey wins one!

There was excessive Greek flavor during the Obama inaugural luncheon what with the aging Archbishop attending, the catering done by a firm co-owned by a Greek and Greek yogurt from Fage (Greek firm) and Chobani (Turk firm) being served and with Lady Gaga entertaining during the Inaugural Ball… …. The Greek car market shrank dramatically in 2012, with car sales falling by 38.5 % (passenger car sales fell 40.3 %) last year, official figures showed on Thursday. A report by the Hellenic Statistical Authority said that new car registrations totaled 77,675 cars (new or used ones) in 2012, down from 126,372 in 2011 and 183,877 in 2010. Car sales dropped 29.6 % in December 2012… Did you know that one in five enterprises in Greece is run by a woman, while 9.0% of the most profitable enterprises also have a woman at the helm, a report by ICAP Group showed.



Politics: Galifianakis & Ferrell

Fey: Cops SAG award

Jennifer Aniston and several other movie stars will pretend Greenwich and Stamford are parts of Detroit when an independent film shoots in the two towns in February. The Greenwich Board of Selectmen approved the closure of Hamilton Avenue at Thursday's meeting for a day of shooting Feb. 11. The Two Door Restaurant will be featured in the scene, set in 1970s Detroit. The actress by the way has reportedly cancelled her plans to marry Justin Theroux in Mexico. The 43-year-old, who announced her engagement to 40-year-old Theroux in August, was planning to tie the knot during their holiday in Mexico. Meanwhile, Jennifer Aniston has apparently been showing "signs" she is preparing for motherhood though she has so far denied the claims, but insiders say the former Friends star began her pregnancy detox a while ago. She’s fuelled the pregnancy rumours by apparently dropping out of two movies she was set to appear in. The People's Choice Awards at the Nokia Theatre in LA by the way, was a star-studded affair with plenty of famous faces in the crowd and hanging out backstage. Jennifer Aniston popped up in a leather number to accept her favorite comedic movie actress award. Moreover, the same actress is taking her love of coffee to new heights after signing on to star in a new British TV ad, in which she plays a caffeinated late-night cafe visitor. In the new Sky Broadband commercial, the former Friends star portrays a woman struggling with a bad internet connection that forces her to work from a nearby coffee shop…. When asked by Entertainment Weekly what feell out of Zach Galifianakis’ prodigious beard when it was shaven for The Campaign, his co-star Will Ferrell answered ‘ironically a couple of coupons for Chick-fil-A and a refrigerator magnet for a place called The Little Shrimp, which is a gay bar”……Comedienne Tina Fey co-hosted the Golden Globe awards in mid-January, with winner movies such as Les Miserable, TV’s Homeland and Adele for the Skyfall song. The ones who stole the show however were none other than the hostess herself, namely Fey and Amy Poehler, her co-host As I understand it, there was talk during the proceedings about all things Greek. Steven Spielberg, Jodie Foster, Mel Gibson, Maria Menounos and Alexandre Desplat talk about their favorite moments in Greece from the red carpet of the 70th Golden Globe Awards…..

Film-maker Gavras on the set

Acclaimed Greek-born filmmaker Costa Gavras was in Athens for the Greek premiere of his new film, the 2012 bank boardroom thriller "Capital", on January 14. A cynical phrase that "we gather money from the poor, which are many, and give them to the rich, which are few", by a Goldman Sacks executive, prompted Gavras to film "Capital", of which he is both director and screenwriter. The plot revolves around the stock market world through the adventures of a 'normal' man who evolves into a ruthless banker, played by Gad Elmaleh. The public defied the freezing cold to turn up for the planned interaction event with the director, to whom they posed questions on the immense problems of our era. Behind the glamor of a banker, his education and cultivation, is hidden a dark side, that of businesses, Gavras said, adding that this is what he tried to find and tell in his new film, and opining that "we are living in a hard-core capitalism, which has turned us back many years, to the 19th century". Gavras said that meanings have changed and that ethics have been pushed aside, noting that in France mass dismissals are being made under the title of "social planning" (plans sociaux), as if they were 'gifts' to people. He admitted that the solution to the immense problems will not be given by a film, which was not the role of the film, or cinema, or the director. "What concerns me is resistance to the catastrophe," he said, adding that the solution will come from the people we vote for: "We must know who we chose and why we choose them. That is the problem and chiefly a Greek problem for many years now."..Good news! George Burlotos’ Greek Spirit TVer which transmits every Sunday (8 to 10 pm) in the Greater Philadelphia area will now be shown weekly in New York as well on channel 66....

Going Gaga over songs

Elena: At Gabbys

Lady Gaga’s has written about 50 songs for ‘possible’ inclusion in her latest album,  Artpop, for which she she says she was inspired by the deacay of the blonde pop icon. She also says that album will be completely an interactive release, full of visual and audion content  …..Elena Paparizou will be at the Gabby Awards in Hollywood, CA where Greek America's "Best and Brightest" stars will be recognized on Memorial Day weekend…..

Chase's Dimon: Salary demoted

Two of our compatriots are involved in the development of the Mars Curiosity probe, Stamatis Krimizis chief emeritus of the space program at Johns Hopkins. Known as the cartographer of space the Hellene scientist had been a member of the original NASA committees which launched in 2006 plans for the materialization of Curiosity. The second of the two forerunners of the project is Pericles Papadopoulos who helped with the landing of the craft. He came to the States in 1982 with dreams of specializing in planetary exploration and hypersonics…JPMorgan Chase & Co. CEO Jamie Dimon was supposed to have a great week this week: He's expected to announce on Wednesday 1/9, that the bank raked in record profits last year. But the company's board may also release a 50-page-plus report holding him and his two deputies largely responsible for the $6.2 billion trading blunder caused by the "London Whale." But there was more! Shortly after the markets closed on Tuesday afternoon 1/15, an emissary from JPMorgan Chase’s board of directors walked two flights down to the 48th-floor corner office of the bank’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, to deliver a stark message. The board had voted to slash  Dimon’s annual compensation for 2012 by half. At first blush, the move appeared to be a stinging rebuke of Mr. Dimon for his failures of leadership that contributed to the bank’s multibillion-dollar trading loss last year. But the pay cut was actually a message from the board to regulators and worried investors that it was a strong watchdog over the nation’s largest bank, according to several people with knowledge of the matter…….Detroit businessman Ted Gatzaros, one of the founders of Detroit’s Greektown Casino-Hotel, has died on Monday, 1/14. He was 68……

The Russian creator of NeoPopRealism, a form of fancy painting had for a while a book in Google and since she has painted a lot of scenes in the island republic, I thought we can use a quote from that book called Deca-Dance. She talks about her lover while living in the Bahamas, and while she gives no last name, the name Steve reveals-maybe- that we’re talking about a Greek national who had conquered Nadia Russ’ heart: “Steve told me many times-she goes on-I am a lawyer, I am a lawyer. I could not understand why he tells me this. His profession was not important to me. Then, I did not know yet that in the Bahamas, the U.S., and Western Europe, among regular people, it is very prestigious to be a lawyer or a doctor. To me, it was just another profession, like many other, which have aim to serve the regular people’s needs. Boring thing! To be a lawyer does not promise a lot of fun. He did not impress me much. If he would tell me that he is a movie producer, then I would say BWOW!E! One day, Steve told me that he sees ‘love as a business.’ I did not understand what he meant. All about him was strange and thought-provoking. However, who wants to think when intoxication is in the air and in your blood and you love this condition. One thing I was sharp about - my money-that I had in the Bank of Cyprus. Without money, I would be too vulnerable”…..

…..

The Bar at Thalassa

The restaurant in Norwalk, Ct is called Pontos and naturally it serves dishes of the Greek Cuisine with its name deriving from the region south of the Black Sea, once a bastion of Hellenism. Naturally we call the area Pontos, short for Efxinos Pontos, the name that our ancestors called what is now known as the Black Sea, with Efxinos meaning ‘hospitable’ as a euphemistic tribute to the very inhospitable body of water.  Nicholas Kiriakidis is the owner with his father Ted as the chef and mother Anna as the hostess. According to the critics, it is worth a visit with its moderate prices both in food and wine………When Vangelis Xydas left his work at the hotel several years ago to open up a small food specialty company he knew the chance he was taking, given the situation that was just taking hold in Greece. His company called Citrus is situated ona small village called Kambos in Chios, and the paradox is that today, this company he started produces 120 different products including loukoumia, but the most important thing he exports-and Greeks believe more entrepreneurs like him are needed to save the country-is the Aegean diet with its beneficial results on the human body…..Amali is the latest Steve Tzolis venture on the site of his former Persephone, which recently underwent a drastic change…. If you're rounding up a group for happy hour downtown, Thalassa is a new option. The TriBeCa restaurant has three different rooms, including two private rooms, and can seat about 250 or fit more than 300 standing. The Greek eatery celebrated its 10th anniversary in November, but just started serving happy hour recently, said Tasso Zapanti, director of operations. The restaurant has a nautical theme, with overhead sails running by the bar. "The restaurant feels like you are on a yacht sailing the Aegean  Zapanti said…The best Greek dishes you want to taste in south Jersey are found at Sofia’s Kouzin,on Rt 70 in Cherry Hill and owned by the Assad (Taki) Khouri couple. Sofia, Taki’s wife is the creator of these dishes…Where Taverna Vraka used to be, another restaurant has risen these days by the name of Kopiaste (Welcome) , so announces Philip Christopher. The new restaurant will be managed by George Georgiou (I suspect he is the same person who originally managed Taverna Vraka) and Skevi assumes the duties of the chef…Gallagher’s Steakhouse the theater district mainstay, which opened in 1927, will not go the way of so many other establishments that bit the dust. The closing was announced in October, but the restaurant has been rescued by Dean Poll, who runs the Boathouse Cafe in Central Park. He bought the lease from its current owner…Cat has translated her exceptional culinary skills into several high profile restaurants including Kouzzina at Disneyworld, CCQ in Costa Mesa, California, and Cat Cora's Kitchen at Houston, Salt Lake City and San Francisco Airports. “In Greece, Kouzzina is the Kitchen” Cat says - and now you can savor her  time-honored Mediterranean family recipes and personal favorites as her casual family restaurant on Disney's Boardwalk comes alive through the sights, sounds, and aromas of its fabulous open kitchen. Discover these creative and flavorful dishes, cooked to order in the Kouzzina's wood-burning grill and oak-fired ovens...Design Cuisine, a full-service catering company providing fine dining for political, corporate, and social events throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area co-owned by American Hellenic Institute (AHI) Member Steve Veletsis, was the catering company picked for the prestigious 2013 Presidential Inaugural Luncheon held at the U.S. Capitol on January 21, 2013….. .

And let’s close with a quote from our noble ancestor, Aristotle who said that “At his best, man is the noblest of animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.” 

Word of the month: Micropolitan: .New word  denoting small but regionally important population center of 10,000 to 50,000 inhabitants, which the US census disovered that 1 in 10 people lives in one of the country’s 576 such areas, namely Hilton Head, SC and Wooster, OH. Made up of two Greek words, micro (small) and politia, polis (city.)

As the World Churns0113

By Bob Nicolaides

Two of the teachers at Sandy Hook Elementary are of Hellenic descent and while one’s hours had her going to the school after the tragedy, the other, Anna Maria Jacobs who hails from the island of Nissyros was there and as the drama unfolded she was teaching 18 children of various classes in the library. When shots rang out, she hurried to hide the children in closets and locked the library door, not opening until police arrived, thereby saving 18 lives....

A small portion of the skeleton of the ancient king Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great, is to be taken for testing to the Demokritos National Centre for Scientific Research, according to the Thessaloniki's Archaeological Museum.  The ancient king's remains were found inside a golden larnax, or casket, considered one of the most valuable objects of the ancient world, found inside the main chamber of grave II at the Vergina archaeological site in northern Greece. The aim of the transfer is the microscopic examination, analysis and photography of an unknown substance covering the bones, which has also been found in other Macedonian tombs. This is the first time this substance will be analyzed for its chemical and mineral composition, with the results expected to yield valuable information on the larnax corrosion processes and the ritual materials used during that period. The request for the transfer of the shards of bonds from the head of the Vergina digs has already been approved by the Central Archaeological Council…..Twenty centuries of history are on display at the exhibition "Words and Coins: From Ancient Greece to Byzantium" currently running at the Martin Bodmer Foundation in Geneva, organized jointly with Athens' Benaki Museum. The exhibition is enriched with material from the Numismatic Collection of the private public benefit foundation KIKPE (Welfare Foundation for Social and Cultural Affairs) on loan to the Benaki Museum. The exhibition invites visitors on a journey through space and time. The display features coins that portray twenty centuries of history, spanning the 5th century BC to the 15th century AD – from the development of democracy in Greece, to the glory and decline of Byzantium. The exhibition will run through March 17, 2013...... A brief but special ceremony was held at the Museum of Olympic Games History at the ancient Olympia archaeological site on Sunday (Dec 1) to unveil the artifacts that were stolen from the same museum last February, generating an international furor over lax security at the facility. Alternate Culture Minister Costas Tzavaras thanked the law enforcement authorities who recovered the priceless items. Several suspects, in Patras and Athens, were arrested and charged with the audacious early morning robbery at the museum…… Twenty-four high-born females whose lives span 500 years will be featured through their burial findings at a Museum of Cycladic Art exhibition running to April 10, 2013. Titled "Princesses of the Mediterranean at the Dawn of History," the show will feature artifacts such as jewellery, clothes and fragments of furniture from burials of princesses, aristocrats and priestesses dated to 1000 B.C.-500 B.C. and discovered in Greece, Cyprus and Italy. Specific burial sites include Athens, Oinopia (present Aegina), Eleutherna (in northwest Crete), Sindos (near Thessaloniki) and Tuscany in western Italy.

One of the many recipients of the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award presented in person by the Governor General of Canada, the honorable David Johnston in Montreal, Quebec on Tuesday, November 27 was Menelaos Pavlides of Montreal and received the award for his long service in the Scouting movement, notably within Canada’s Greek Community… Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist announced on Twitter that he's switching to the Democratic Party. The announcement Friday night fanned speculation that Crist would seek to regain his old job from Republican Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. The tweet included a photo of a smiling Crist and his wife Carole as he held up a Florida voter registration application. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Crist signed the papers changing his affiliation from independent to Democrat at a Christmas reception at the White House. President Barack Obama greeted the news with a fist bump.

Madame Tussauds has unveiled a new waxwork of Jennifer Aniston, complete with a replica of her massive eight-carat engagement ring. Aside from that, Adonis Tsilimparis is the guy who kissed Aniston at the age of 12 and said she was even then some kisser!. By the way, her mom has been in the hospital for over a month, but the former Friends actress still hasn’t found time to call or visit and see how she is feeling, according to a new report in Star magazine. As RadarOnline.com previously reported, Nancy Dow was admitted to Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center on Nov. 6 after breaking her shoulder in a nasty fall. During surgery, the 76-year-old suffered a stroke, her second in just over a year, and she’s said to be in a very fragile state. B ut she’s out of the hospital now and I’m sure Jen has visited her. Also let’s not discount that the same person is one of several movie & TV stars who have recorded a special video message demanding a new plan for gun law reform.

Bob Costas appeared to bring politics into the NFL broadcast booth on Sunday night, saying better gun control could have prevented the horrific murder-suicide committed by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher. Costas delivered his nationally televised message by paraphrasing part of a column written by Jason Whitlock on FoxSports.com. In the column, Whitlock writes: "What I believe is, if he didn’t possess/own a gun, he and Kasandra Perkins would both be alive today." The comment however created a raucous, which prompted Costas to explain that he wasn’t against the second amendment…

If you were in Athens between November 27 and December 1^st, you could’ve relished some exotic delicacies courtesy of Chef Jean-Charles Métayer at the Athenaeum’s Premiere Room where a gastronomical feast was held and viewpoints and views were discussed amid camaraderie. The five epicurean delights sampled during the tasting session shared the stage with some of the most eclectic wines from the Antonopoulos Vines. The five dishes offered were Shrimp Consommé Shiso and Jerusalem artichokes mousse,(offered with Sauvignon white)  Chtenia and mushroom crêpes, Sabayon in fragrant paprika paired with Rose Adoli Earth, Braised Peskandritsa in chestnuts, powdered Arabica coffee and legume paired with Anax, a Chardonnay, Lamb shank confis, Froth of Moussaka and crunchy potatoes paired with Yerondoklima Rematias, a Merlot, and Chocolate surprise Guanaja mousse and almond ice cream to go with Mavrodafni Patras. The price of the dinner was only €55 per person…The Quintessentially Lifestyle of the St George Lycabettus Boutique Hotel in Athens became much more quintessential with the Grand Opening of on Thursday, November 29^th of its all-day bar-restaurant, La Suite Lounge at its top floor. Overlooking the Acropolis and a good part of Athens, the event comprised this winter’s exclusively elegant event which was hosted by Quintessentially Lifestyle and the St. George Lycabettus Boutique Hotel. The event was a cocktail party during which vodka 18.95, the only Greek-produced vodka was introduced to guests along with breathtaking views and many surprises. …My friend and erudite restaurant critic John Mariani writes in his newsletter: For a decade now, Diane Kochilas has been the diva of Greek cooking, straddling both Greece and NYC, and forever poking her nose into Greek cooks' kitchens and her fingers into their cooking pots. The result has been 15 book up till now. The Country Cooking of Greece is her masterpiece, a volume so thorough, so affectionate, so engaging, that it is unlikely to be surpassed for years or decades to come. No recipe takes more than half a page or a page, the ingredients are almost wholly available, and her husband Vassilis Stenos' photographs will cause hunger pangs page after page. Something so simply as pistachio-crusted feta saganaki, which takes about five minutes to make, is a wonder of flavor. She prepares moussaka with sweet potatoes; pasta with yogurt and caramelized onions from Kassos is a treasure of comfort food, and her seafood recipes can be made by anyone with the freshest fish. This is my pick for the Best Cookbook of 2012. (Chronicle Books $50.)… MenuPages, the most comprehensive mobile and web provider of up-to-date restaurant menu content, today announced its availability for restaurants in Queens, the second-most populous borough in New York City. The expansion to Queens comes by popular demand: nearly one million New Yorkers already take advantage of MenuPages' listings for restaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn every month, and fans of the service have requested that the same accurate menu content and user reviews be available in Queens. Queens' legendary food scene goes far beyond the borough's storied Greek diners. From M Wells Dinette's creative, audacious food and the pre-eminent Greek seafood at Taverna Kyclades to delicious Sichuan at Spicy & Tasty and incredible Thai at Sripraphai, MenuPages users can find something to suit the most sophisticated palate or adventurous eater.

 

As The World Churns/1112, By Bob Nicolaides

 

 

RNC chairman Reice Priebus was born Reinhold Reince Priebus in Dover, New Jersey, the son of Greek mother, Dimitra Priebus and her German husband whose name does not appear in Wikipedia but instead they list the mother twice, once as Dimitra and then as Roula, which is the one and same person his mother.  His father was a former union electrician who works in real estate. He became politically engaged at age 16, volunteering for several campaigns throughout high school. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he majored in English and political science, and joined the Delta Chi fraternity. He graduated cum laude in 1994, and prior to that had been elected to serve as student body president.^] He was born in New Jersey and lived until age 7 in Netcong.... In an attempt to discredit the massive lawsuit it's facing from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman over Bear Stearns' mortgage-backed securities, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and its CEO, Greek American James Dimon, accused him of using "recycled claims" cribbed from another lawsuit. (JPMorgan acquired Bear in 2008.) Because Bear Stearns was such a huge player in the selling and packaging of mortgage-backed securities, there's more than one similar lawsuit. Legal experts say that's no big deal.

 

Thirty-one New Democracy (ND) MPs questioned the minister of tourism in Parliament, asking that a tourism campaign contract signed by Attica Regional Governor Yiannis Sgouros be re-examined.  The ND deputies underlined that the contract signed with the lowest bidder has already caused two resignations in the regional government administration, while they rejected that the contract in question must be immediately implemented in order avoid a loss of  8.5 million euros in National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA) funds…The port of Volos, in central Greece, welcomed another cruise ship this current season, while other four are expected by Nov. 9. The latest arrival is the cruise ship “Golden Iris”, with 865 tourists on board, the majority of whom were Israelis. ..Papastratos, a Greece-based tobacco industry, on Wednesday announced an investment of 3.0 million euros to install a new production line at its facilities in Aspropyrgos, west of Athens proper, for packaging tobacco into rolled cigarettes… The government organized a road-show October 9-11 in New York City, with the promotion of energy and real estate opportunities for institutional investors in the US topping the agenda…. Hotel room occupancy rates in Greece continued falling in the July-August period in the greater Athens region, official figures showed.

 

There was a shooting September 14 in NYC, shooting of photographs that is, for Entertainment Weekly, and the subject of the shooting was TV’s Tina Fey duplicating…no, not Sara Palin but what Audrey Hepburn looked like in shots from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. It must be noted that the ‘do the actress sported was the creation of Samaras. No, not the PM! This was Thanos Samaras of L’Atelier in NYC….If you ask me, I’d rather see Michael Chiklis in comedies because I think he’s  a funny man, but this series is called Vegas and is shown on CBS TV Tuesdays (10-11 pm) Dennis Quaid is his co-star and I’m told that Michael unleashes his Shield charisma as mobster Vincent Savino. I still like him better in comedies….Meanwhile, with the departure of 20^th Century Fox chairman and CEO Tom Rothman, Jim Gianopulos (remember him?) is taking over the number one spot as of next January. About time we’re getting 20^th Century back in Greek hands. It’s been a while since Spyro Skouras was king…..Ali in Wonderland is authored by Ali Wentworth but does anybody know who she is? Sure! She’s the wife of Good Morning America’s George Stephanopoulos and being that both are TV people, she was asked if we’ll ever see them playing themselves on the little screen. Her reaction: “We’ll be divorced…...”…Comic Zach Galifianakis. had a birthday last month. He is 43 as of October 1^st… The Israeli embassy in Greece, in cooperation with the Athens-based Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, is organizing a tribute to Israeli cinema this month, entitled "Seven Stories from Israel -- Israeli Cinema Week. The films will be screened -- with Greek subtitles -- at the Foundation's centre from Thursday, Oct. 18 to Wednesday Oct. 24. The event is under the auspices of the ministry of education, religious affairs and culture…. … Alex Karras, the burly defensive lineman turned actor in the ABC sitcom "Webster," and the flick Blazing Saddles died October 10^th surrounded by his family in their Los Angeles home following a hard-fought battle with kidney disease, heart disease, dementia and stomach cancer, according to a family spokesman. He was 77….

 

An international stellar cast showcases the epic yarn in God Loves Caviar, of a man by the name of Ioannis Varvakis, a pirate in the 18^th century who eventually fiddled his way in to commanding one of the largest mercantile empires of Europe. The film is one of twelve that were shown during the Sixth Annual New York City Greek Film Festival that began October 6^th and ended October 17, with shows at the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens, the Paris Theater, the NYIT auditorium and the Cinema Village. The Paris Theater performance was a documentary of the Smyrna destruction, directed by Maria Iliou, followed by a Gala reception at Steve Tzolis’ Amali. On October 8^th, there was a special lecture on the films of Theo Angelopoulos at the NY Film Academy and my hope is that you did not miss all of the shows, but have attended a few…..   

Allow me to introduce the mighty, moody Prospera, the stay-at-home sorcerer played by Olympia Dukakis in Shakespeare & Company’s jolly, quirky and unusually cozy production of “The Tempest,” that played last month in Lenox, MA. Ms. Dukakis is not the first woman to take on the role of the exiled Duke of Milan, more commonly an angry old man known as Prospero. But surely no one else has provided the ineffably maternal mixture of fire, ice, earth and just a dash of sea salt with which the 81-year-old Ms. Dukakis endows the part. …Because Hercules survived death after performing his famous “twelve labors”, Eurystheus wants to kill Hercules’ children believing they pose a threat to his throne. They are political refugees in Athens, along with their mother Alcmena and Iolaus, a relative and friend of Hercules. Although he is old, Iolaus insists on going to battle against Eurystheus and succeeds in capturing him. Eurystheus now cannot be put to death as a prisoner, but wants to be remembered as a protector of Athens, emphasizing Athens’ democratic and just treatment of foreign nationals. In its 2,440 year history, this will be the second professional staging of Euripides’ Children of Hercules in America and the first ever to use an ancient setting. Directed and staged by American Thymele Theater Founder Stephen Diacrussi with a cast of 25, , the play was staged at the East River Park Amphitheatre the Naumburg Bandshell and at Theatre 500 in the Times Square Arts Center Bldg through August, with music by Nicholas Sattinger, choreography by David Bushman, costumes designed by Steven Daniel and translation from the original Greek and edited by Ralph Gladstone. Scotti Rhodes was responsible for the publicity and Tina Santorineou is one of ATT’s honorary associates…. 

New York Magazine’s Adam Platt calls Amali, the Steve Tzolis’ transformed Persephone, Modern Greek. He even hands the East 60^th Street establishment two stars which is translated into ‘Very Good.’ Robin Raisfeld is the Food Editor for the Magazine....Goodbye Mezzo Mezzo, hello MP Taverna! Kyriakos Kourakos who owned the former and struggled for a couple of years, he also owned once the Grecian Cave or Spelia depending the language in which you’d want to call it, the singular transplant from Greek Town (8^th Ave, 26^th to 32^nd Streets, Manhattan)  of yesteryear. The MP Taverna is the second such belonging to demigod chef Mike Psilakis, but it looks like it’s going to take a while before it opens up for the fire department came up with some violations on the wood used in the construction, so it looks like a long haul for the co-owner of the former Anthos.  However, I have a word of caution for anyone with designs of opening smack next to Kyklades.....   

In the Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens, a 10-foot-high inflatable Buddha-but not Socrates- sculpture prompts visitors to reflect - and post photos to Twitter……However, if you stroll up (quite a few) blocks from that point, you’ll end up at Athens Square in Astoria, where the Socrates statue will be staring at you squarely in the eye….. . 

Justine Frangoulis-Argyris is touring Greece promoting her new book, Traveling with Paul and Laura……On a different plane, former RI State Senator and also a candidate for the same office Lou Raptakis has won the primary and is headed for the elections with flying colors…. 

Famous Quotes:"The monarchy will continue as long as the people want a monarchy." King Juan Carlos, of Spain, the husband of Queen Sofia, sister of the deposed Greek monarch, King Constantine.  

Word of the Month: Criteria: Gr. Κριτήριον 

ATHENAEUM INTERCONTINENTAL INAUGURATES TWO FUNCTION ROOMS WITH FULL VIEW OF ATHENS

Athenaeum InterContinental recently inaugurated two new spaces for civic and social functions on the sixth floor of the hotel. Designed according to the highest standards of quality and esthetics, the Acropolis Terrace and the Acropolis Boardroom, constitute an ideal selection for events of certain importance.

With total capacity of 600 square meters and the most breathtaking view of the city, the Acropolis Terrace is the ultimate space for a buffet or set menu luncheon during the day, as well as a reception or a proper dinner with the fully lit Acropolis as the background.

Adjacent to the Acropolis Terrace, the Boardroom’s diffused natural light is distinguished for its abstract scheme, its discerning furnishing and its fashionable acoustic and optic equipment. The incomparable view of Athens that the boardroom provides a seal of  success to every professional event held there.

 

A Viewpoint From The Estiator Magazine's Oct. 2012 Issue

 

Using as starting point the Catholicism's late Carlo Maria Martini's interview that the Church is 200 year's behind times, the mag continues with remarks on Orthodoxy, quoting that instead of the 200 years that Catholics are behind, Orthodox have remained 1000 years behind times.

 

Explaining its theory, the writer says this is because the Church has gotten "stuck" in outdated religious decrees and old fashioned practices, particularly since the current ecumenical patriarch Vartholomaios has gotten into power. Not only did he limit himself in dissolving the former great Church in the Western Hemisphere, he also, via the metropolitans attempts to maintenain the retrogressiveness which has led to the thinning out of church attendance, in the effort to impose a foundamentalism which is totally unacceptable in this day and age.

 

And we ask: Is it Vartholomaios the one who who has done this damage to the Church, or is it the man behind the scenes who made sure that Vartholomaios rises to power? After all, there is an agenda in modern Rasputin's vision. All monetarily and influence-driven.     

Cerebral Palsy Patient Gets

Boost from Hellenic Parish

Imagine the pathos infused into soprano Melissa Perry (not to be confused with MSNBC’s Melissa Harris- Perry) as she and fellow vocalist Sharon Rose Destine ‘cheerfully’ executed   song after song, knowing that it was all for the benefit of her own daughter Sara Ann Kronrot, a severely affected by Cerebral palsy. It all happened the evening of March 7^th at the Greek-owned Water Works Restaurant at One Boathouse Row in Philadelphia, with the Greek Orthodox parish of St. Thomas in Cherry Hill, NJ, led by Hellenic Medical Society president Elias Iliadis of Cooper University Hospital took an interest in the girl’s extraordinary plight.

The 8-year-old have been diagnosed early in her life by pediatric specialists as a very severe case of cerebral palsy, giving her no chances of recovery, yet Sara Ann defied this prognosis by the experts by recovering enough to gain her sight and hearing. She no longer has contractures and is able to read, write and draw remarkably (two samples of which had been mounted on a musical stand in plain view in the room,) but is still unable to sit or stand. However, this exhaustive process of her therapy has taken a toll on her family’s resources, necessitating these fund-raising events.

The event, dubbed Waiting for Love, a Cabaret with the Diva Duo was one of many a fundraiser of this type held by the musical family of the afflicted girl, with her father, Hugh Kronrot, an accomplished artist himself accompanying the divas on the piano. The singing duo used a repertoire of all-time favorites, pop and enduring Broadway tunes, even opera in a sometimes comical sometimes boisterous tone, the two artists engaging in a non-maligned antagonism-of sorts-singing outbursts that brought smiles into the 50-odd person audience that filled the restaurant’s Grande Salon for the early session.

The Water Works open menu and special drinks were available to those in attendance who paid a $20 tax-deductible contribution ($25 at the door) for half price. Contributions for Sara Ann can be mailed to Collingswood Cates/Sara Fund at P. Ο. Βοχ 172 , Collingswood, NJ 08108 or through Pay Pal at www.facebook.com/friendsofsara.