As The World Churns 1013

By Bob Nicolaides



Hera:Celebrated on Samos

The General Assembly of the UN, by unanimous vote adopted a resolution designating April 8^thas Athletics Worldwide Day for Growth and Peace in the presence of president of the International Olympics Committee Dr. Jacques Rogge and a plethora of athletes, among them tennis champ Novak Djokovic of Serbia. The decision to choose April 6^th as Athletics Worldwide Day as opposed to June 23^rd as it had been originally proposed emanates from a proposal made by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN, as this is the day of the rebirth of the modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896……Over 350 volunteers participated in the Heraia-Pythagoreia festival celebrating the ancient Greek women's races first introduced to the eastern Aegean island of Samos 2,200 years ago. In the seventh annual festival, events which began on August 18 with concerts at the archaeological museum and the ancient theatre of Pythagoreion, the central town, a procession replicating the ancient tradition took place and headed to the port. This was preceded by the lighting of a torch at the ancient sanctuary of Hera and women's races from the temple to Pythagoreio. In antiquity, the celebrations included women's foot races at night accompanied by torches, musicians, with poetry contests also held, among other religious and cultural events. The events wrapping up the next night, a full moon night celebrated at archaeological sites throughout Greece. On Samos, the celebration under the stars was dedicated to Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca.

The village of Carguese or Karzes, this Greek corner of Corsica was founded by Mani fugitives who wanted to save themselves from the Turkish yoke. Street names, monuments, all are reminiscent of something Greek. But most of all, is the Byzantine church of Karzes, with the marvelous icons, brought by the Maniates from Greece in the 17th century....Archaeologists working in an ancient church somewhere in Turkey think they've unearthed a piece of the world's most famous cross, the one used to crucify Jesus. It was in a stone chest unearthed during excavations at a 1350-year-old house of worship with the chest filled with relics associated with the Crucifixion.

Overheard outside the Greek Consulate General in New York the other day: "Let's take a photo of the building with you in it, son, so we can show pappou." I got curious and I asked. The speaker explained. "My son is half Greek from his mother who speaks fluent Greek, and I wanted to show her father his gradson standing outside the Consulate.".... George Capsis who publishes a Village weekly paper called WestView was at a Christine Quinn fundraiser when he turned and slapped first a Congressman and then an aid to Quinn, the aspiring mayoral candidate in NYC. Why did he do it? As far as the Congressman because he wouldn't listen to his complaining about the closure of St. Vincent Hospital which robbed Capsis of precious moments with his dying wife Andromache who was transferred to the Bronx, and died a few days before the incident and the aide because he restrained him wanting to eject him from the event....



Stamos:NO spotlight Hogging

Theroux with Aniston: Coming Nuptials

Saks Fifth Avenue and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF) are proud to announce Jennifer Aniston, long-time supporter of cancer causes, as the spokesperson for their 2013 Key to the Cure campaign. This year marks the 15th annual campaign, and it will raise funds for EIF's Women's Cancer Research Fund by selling a limited edition Emilio Pucci T-shirt, in addition to holding a charity shopping weekend. By the way, Aniston's wedding was faltering for a while  due to difference of opinion. The former Friends star also admits she falls to pieces when she is due to step on a plane, and even alcohol fails to calm her nerves. New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s TVer Greek Spirit show producer-host and good friend George Burlotos has compacted his Sunday evening production from a two-hour show to a one hour (8-9 pm) and everyone wonders how does he do it managing to contain in half the time all the rich content that he spread over two hours. But he does, and does it with gusto…. “He seldom hogs the spotlight as the star,” writes Bill Newcott in a profile of John Stamos. More often, he’ll pop up to provide essential support on TV, in movies or on Broadway (or with the beach Boys, as their semi-regular drummer.) But John is a guy we’re always glad to see, whose sheer joy for his craft is positively contagious. “Then he continues: I’m ready to have kids” the actor wo divorced in 2005 says. Meanwhile, he’s the spokesman for Project Cuddle fighting baby abandonment…. New releases from Greek American Alexander Payne and other directors will be featured at the New York Film Festival, which opened Sept. 27,.the

 

Karamitsos: Co-director

TV's Devlantes: Celebrates

On Thursday, September 5, a private, exclusive joint end-of-summer rooftop soiree at the riverside rooftop StarDeck of the hot newly refurbished bar Estate Ultra Bar, celebrates the 10th anniversary of Chicago's Greek Media Club, co-hosted by that club in tandem with I On The Scene and Ladies Night Chicago. Co-sponsor was Estate Ultra Bar with live 50s-60s music by singer guitarist Skip Griparis. A toast to the GMC's 10th anniversary, it's raising some cash for charity, introduces individuals associated with each respective group to one another's membership. I On The Scene is one of Chicago's foremost celebrity blogs, written by entrepreneuse and former General Hospital actress Irene Michaels. GMC is a social networking group of media, film, PR/advertising and other creative and communicatively-inclined individuals which was co-founded by George Bliss, FOX32 News anchor Anna Devlantes and media entrepreneur and NFL Replay Assistant Terry Poulos. Ladies Night Chicago is a women's networking group founded by Shari Duffy. Also, writer-editor Maria Karamitsos is one of the current GMC co-directors...George Drakoulias, a Long  Island-bread musician from Greece was the music producer for the flick Stupid, Crazy Love....Greek thrush Maria Farantouri celebrates her 50 years in singing with a big concert at the Herod Atticus Theatre (Irodio) on September 17. Farantouri has sung for major Greek composers, including Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hatzidakis. She was joined on stage by Elli Paspala and Savina Yiannatou to sing of "the human who insists on seeking the elusive dream and utopia"…. The western Greek city of Agrinio hosted its third annual jazz festival on September 6 and 7 at the Kipotheatro outdoor theatre, with international musicians taking to the stage with Greek performers. On September 6, guitarist Davide Jambon (Italy), drummer Attila Qyarfas (Hungary) and local double bassist Grigoris Theodoridis gave the opening performance. They were followed by trumpeter Andreas Polyzogopoulos and his quartet improvising Pink Floyd songs. The day was wrapped up with a concert by Shahar Elnatar (Israel) on organ jazz with standards and his own original work, George Kontrafouris on organ, and Vassilis Podaras on drums with Dimitris Tsakas on saxophone. Locals Possible Trio opened the second day, with Serafim Fengoulis on drums, Pantelis Tzialas on guitar and Menios Gounaris on piano. The festival wrapped up with a concert by pianist Juraj Stanik (Holland) improvising on jazz greats, joined by drummer David Barker (Holland) and saxophonist Furni Gomez (Spain)….Upcoming events in Athens during this Fall: "Little Paris of Athens", October 9-16, with events performed at Athenian Streets named after French historical personalities; International Meeting of Graphic Arts, October 17-20, Technopolis; "Store of the Future" events, October 22-24, Technopolis, a virtual reproduction of retail trade stores and spaces, presenting all new trends and technologies in retail trade; and Athens Photo Festival, November 1-20, Technopolis...

 

Tritoxo Hotel

In the beautiful village of Koukouli in Zagori is where Eleftheria Dimou’s guesthouse, To Tritoxo is located, offering you unique hospitality, friendly family environment and excelent service. This family business meets the standards of the Hellenic Tourism Organization and offers the visitor warm hospitality in a family atmosphere. It is housed in a renovated traditional stone structure built in 1822 in the center of graphic Koukouli village. To Tritoxo is open year-round and its seven rooms are equipped with refrigirator, television, central heating and is charmingly decorated. Wake-up in one of its rooms with the aromas of the flowers around you and enjoy nature in its glory.

Word of the Month: Gnome: from the Greek, γνώμη, from γιγνώσκειν. Opinion, Knowledge.

 

 

As The World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides

Every child knows the ready-made spaghetti brand Chef Boy-ar-dee, but how many know that is now owned by C. Dean Metropoulos?...Egyptiot-Greek .John Lartides who now lives in London, Canada, and who spent most of his life owning restaurants has turned to painting now that he is a pensioner…

Tom Hanks and his Greek wife Rita Wilson are the proud grandparents to son Colin and daughter-in-law Samantha Bryant’s new baby girl, Charlotte. Hanks, who has just finished a successful run in Broadway’s “Lucky Guy” and is playing Walt Disney in his next movie, posted a sweet picture of the baby, born last week, with her feet poking out from under goldfish-print sheets. He captioned the image, “Less than a month old. New Granddaughter, Will rule world @ year 2033. Hanx.” Charlotte is their second grandchild….. According to RadarOnline, Aniston and Justin Theroux were not talking about wedding plans. Aniston reportedly wanted to remain in Los Angeles, while Theroux badly wanted to move to New York City. At last report, the two had a meeting of the mind and will have their nuptials the end of this year in LA, which looks like a clear victory for her. In fact, Justin wants her to forget her mother’s past indiscretions about the actress and invite her to their wedding. What caused Theroux to give in? Maybe the fact that Jen has developed a baby bump in the last few months which becomes more visible every day as she’s filming in NYC Squirrels to the Nuts, a movie whose title has been uttered by Charles Boyer in a movie quite old for Jen to remember. By the way, did you notice her short tress? Oh, it’s just a wig…..…Actress Sofia Vergara celebrated Bastille Day (July 14) on the beach in Mykonos with her beau, Nick Loeb…..

“It makes me happy to know “told me Adam Grimanis “that other Greeks are listening to the show I work on every morning, and they appreciate it when I speak about my Greek heritage and customs.  The best part is when they also can relate to what I am describing on air!” Grimanis is part of the team that airs on the Chris & The Crew morning program on WPST  94.5, a Philadelphia/So Jersey Radio station in which he’s known as Adam…..Discussing her ‘no restrictions’ artistic approach to her latest album Artpop Lady Gaga uttered: ‘I’m not one icon. I’m every icon.’ The album’s first single, Applause came out August 19^th. What more, Russia’s severe new anti-gay laws have earned the outrage of human rights groups, American vodka-drinkers and now, appropriately, pop star and part-time LGBT activist Lady Gaga. Gaga took to Twitter to slam the laws and the “criminal” Russian government after news that authorities are investigating the visas both she and Madonna used to play concerts in St. Petersburg last year…..The 100@100 survey examined attitudes between other issues about pop culture. It found that Favorite Singing groups for the past are the Andrews Sisters for centenarians and the Beatles for boomers…. Tickets are on sale for Scorpions, the German heavy metal band that decided to give a series of three concerts in Greece at the Lycabettus Theatre in Athens on September 11, 12 and 14 despite a recent decision to stop large-scale touring...The Comedy show of Angelo Tsarouchas is coming to Chicago on Wednesday, September 25^rd, at Rivers Casino’s Cube at 9:30 pm. Tsarouchas, a nice guy making friends everywhere, has been seen with the Vince Vaughn Roadshow and has appeared in the movie Fred & Vinnie. 

Annapolis Mayoral Candidate Mike Pantelides held a special Greek Breakfast on Thursday, August 1 with food prepared by Master Chef Sotos Christoforou at Chris' Charcoal Pit….And candidate Van Argyrakis is running in next year’s Nebraska Attorney General race…A thematic Exhibition on the Greek gastronomy entitled "Greece, a variety of tastes" will be organised for the first time in the framework of the 78th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) from 7 to 15 September. The exhibition that will be hosted in a special pavillion will include food, beverages and wines aims to bring together Greek and foreign visitors. The exhibition will be organised by "Butterfly Communication" company in cooperation with TIF-Helexpo. "This exhibition which is an innovation of Helexpo-TIF will offer the opportunity to Greek producers to promote and to sell directly their products to over 200,000 visitors from Greece and abroad that are expected to visit TIF" said the organizers announcement...……My good friend Josh Ozersky writes in the New York Eater: A greasy spoon, in my mind, is neither defined by the fact that it has spoons (although it usually does) or even grease (which it also does, and in abundance.) For me, the greasy spoon is a place with low ambition, low standards, and an absence of pretense or even self-awareness. A Greek diner doesn't seem to fit that description; its Hellenic references and vast menus preclude spoonitude. You shouldn't be able to order surf and turf, even a bad one, in a greasy spoon. Likewise, a coffee shop or luncheonette that traffics in wraps, salads, and other modern contrivances, isn't a greasy spoon. Greasy spoons are dirty. Greasy spoons are dark. Greasy spoons are run by unkempt men in spotted white cook shirts and checkered pants, who generally look like they just came off a bender. Greasy spoons serve watery coffee and are open all night. Greasy spoons are for nighthawks. Greasy spoons are refuges for the sad and the defeated, who slump in chairs in the corner, shuddering at painful dreams….Maria Loi’s .Manhattan Loi Restaurant celebrates summer with a $49.00 special that includes a salad called Dakos, Solomos Marinatos, Lavraki, topping it off with Yaourti Me Meli…..New York Magazine recently featured Café Boulis’ Loukoumades, the Astoria place which sells that commodity ring-shaped instead of ball-like…

Word of the Month: Pseudonym-Pen name, from pseudo and onymon meaning fake name, ψευδόνυμον.

 

As The World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides

An alleged plan to assassinate Phanar Greek Orthodox Patriarchate Vartholomeos is being investigated by an Ankara public prosecutor, private broadcaster NTV reported on May 10. The investigation was launched after a letter was sent from the Central Anatolia province of Kayseri, claiming that the Istanbul-based patriarch would be the target of an assassination attempt on May 29, the 560th anniversary of Istanbul’s conquest by Mehmet the Conqueror, a testy time for Greeks and Turks. A man was detained and police forces were searching for two others. The suspects recently arrived in Istanbul from Kayseri, police sources said. One of the detained suspects, identified only as S.A., denied the charges and said he was in Istanbul to visit his relatives and he had no intention or plan of murdering Vartholomeos......Ted Sarandos, at 48 is helping create the future of entertainment in his field by virtue of his position as the Netflix Chief Content Officer...

Rita Wilson can't wait for her pal Jennifer Aniston's wedding to Justin Theroux. Wilson, who is married to Tom Hanks and a close pal of Jennifer, is extremely excited to dance the night away when the 'Friends' star ties the knot. The couple are said to have reportedly moved their wedding date to August in order to not clash with Aniston's ex-husband Brad Pitt's nuptials to Angelina Jolie who recently made worldwide boobs... I mean news with her mastectomy. ANI also reports that Jennifer Aniston will be stripping off on the big screen. The stunning actress plays a lap-dancer in new comedy 'We're The Millers', the Daily Star reported. And film fans will see Jennifer shed her clothes on the big screen. The 44-year-old actress revealed that filming the scenes forced her out of her comfort zone. The 'Friends' star insisted that she danced in high school and in her 20s, but she has never done stripping. "This fabulous dance instructor just pulled the inner stripper out of me," Aniston added. In the film, which is due out in August, her character poses as the wife of a dope dealer, played by funny-man Jason Sudeikis, 37, on a road trip to Mexico. Now don't panic, the couple are still happy as Larry and are merely pushing the wedding back a few months because they can't agree on the size of their nuptials, according to the Daily Mail. Apparently the former Friends star wants a big ceremony while Justin is holding out for a more intimate do. On the other hand, in his new cover story with Esquire magazine,  49-year-old thespian Brad Pitt discussed being on drugs and a lesser version of himself while with Aniston. "For a long time I thought I did too much damage – drug damage. I was a bit of a drifter," he said.  But then I got burnt out and felt that I was wasting my opportunity. It was a conscious change.” Now the same guy admits having a sickness of a sort-maybe a remnant of that period in his life, which makes him forget any one he meets after he’s done with that conversation. He uses a Greek word to describe that, which is Prosopagnosia. Now, could it be that he learned that word from his first spouse?  Very doubtful. I don’t think she knows what it means herself.....

Actor Billy Zane with his girlfriend, model Candice Neil. He says they'll tie the knot in Greece this year, perhaps on an island, to honor the heritage of his Greek parents…If anyone has recollections of movies of the 30s then they must remember the Orson Wells picture Citizen Kane in which George Coulouris plays a role. Or the 1939 movie Swing Times in which Greek actor George Metaxa participates….. Zach Galifianakis is aided by real 'Game of Thrones' star Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in the spoof of the drama series, on SNL and is beaten by Bradley Cooper and Ed Helms in a Jennifer Aniston look-alike contest. But the real surprise is that the Hollywood funnyman is taking a woman he rescued from homelessness to the premiere of “The Hangover Part III.” There’s no joke in his surprising act of generosity. He often stops by her flat he pays rent for to take her to lunch and reportedly he has taken her to premieres before...Olympia Dukakis was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Pantages Theater for her amazing work on stage. The ceremony coincided with Greek America Foundation’s Gabby Awards of which Dukakis is a supporter and board member……

Another step in Charlie Crist’s political evolution is complete. The former Florida governor endorsed gay marriage. “I most certainly support marriage equality in Florida and look forward to the day it happens here,” the Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat wrote on his Facebook page. Crist is considered a potential candidate against Gov. Rick Scott (R) in 2014.. But questions have lingered about his record on gay rights; in 2006 he signed a petition in favor of a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage and adoption in the state. He reaffirmed his support for the ban in 2008. In his Facebook post, Crist did not discuss when or why his personal views on the issue have changed.

British pop veterans Depeche Mode blew Greek fans away Friday, May 10th  with a gutsy performance at Attica's Terra Vibe Park venue in Malakasa, Attica, in what was one of the season's first great open-air summer gigs near the Greek capital. With support bands 'Space Blanket' and Essex-based F.O.X. warming up the packed audience, Depeche Mode hit the stage to riotous applause and kept the crowds electrified for more than two and a half hours with favorites from their 1993 album 'Songs of Faith and Devotion' and tracks from the more recent 'Delta Machine', ending with "Never Let Me Down Again."There’s a few more European cities on tap before the band crosses the Atlantic for its North American tour….The lead singer of the metal band As I Lay Dying was arrested Tuesday and charged with attempting to hire a hit man, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department said. Authorities said Tim Lambesis tried to contract an undercover detective to kill his estranged wife. He is charged with solicitation of another to commit murder, reported CNN. As I Lay Dying was nominated in 2008 for a Grammy Award for best metal performance. They have released seven studio albums and a live CD, according to their website….Among the highlights of the entertainment and shows taking place this summer in Athens are the 36th Book Festival at Pedion tou Areos from May 24 to June 9, an international jazz festival at Technolopolis on May 31- June 2, the Athens Garden Festival on June 15-18 at the National Gardens, the 2nd World Music festival on July 15-19, and a month-long street theatre festival taking place in Athens' squares and pedestrian roads starting on September 7.

Michelin Two-star French Chef Jacques Divellec was welcoming guests and presenting his prize-winning gastronomic preparations through May 11 at the Première restaurant of the Athenaeum InterContinental in Athens suggesting the outstanding items on the menu degustation, in full view of the Acropolis and Lycabettus…. On video, Grant Achatz and Nick Kokonas owners of Alinea, Next and the Aviary talk about everything, from renewing a 10-year lease for Alinea's space, to their thoughts on the Michelin Stars and 50 Best restaurant list,

Heralding the Truth: Preview ""

Heralding the Truth: Preview ""

As the World Churns

 
By Bob Nicolaides

 

Did you know that we Hellenes are the second in the world as far as bank deposits in Switzerlad? It’s a bad thing, naturally, but the fact is that ‘money isn’t scarce!’ It’s hard to convince this money of repatriation since they’re afraid they’ll be eaten by the ‘chickens’ (need explain which are the chickens? Just refer to the Greek proverb that ‘whoever gets mixed up with the chicken feed is eaten by the chickens’

Anniston the stripper





Jennifer Aniston shows off her stripper skills in the new red band trailer for her upcoming movie We’re the Millers. The 40-something actress portrays a hooker in the kooky drug-running scheme and Jason Sudeikis co-stars as a small-time pot dealer who cooks up a plan to smuggle drugs from Mexico, so he hires a fake family composed of Anniston’s character, one of his young neighbors  (Will Poulter) and a ‘gutter punk ‘ (Emma Roberts.) The faux dysfunctional family then crosses the border in an RV to pick up what turns out to be a mas

A ceremony of Sumo Wrestlers?

sive amount of marijuana….A Special Screening of "What If..."was held May 25^th during the Gabby Awards weekend celebration in Hollywood, CA with Greece’s highly acclaimed actor-director Christoforos Papakaliatis personally presented his flick and spoke about it, taking questions from the audience on his ‘love story developing against obstacles and upsets caused by life itself and not by other people.  The screening was sponsored by Nikos Fillas of NYC’s Hellas FM. The movie has so far grossed $4.5 M since its debut in Greece half a year ago and is considered one of the top box office hits to date….Someone over at Time Magazine worries about punctuation in movie titles. One of the examples he gives in his article is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “Without the comma, he explains, we can’t tell if it’s a wedding that’s larger than life or a ceremony of Hellenic sumo wrestlers.”Suggested fix: A comma-My Big, Fat Greek Wedding….The Cinema Village presented from May 31 to June 6 New York City Greek Festival’s Run It, by Evangelos and George Giovanis. The raw and often abrasive drama is about a boy who’s chased away from home by his mother’s violent lover and decides to play hooky from school and try the streets to score a quick fix for all his problems. Unfortunately everything goes wrong and the boy finds himself in more trouble that when he started. Louis Zorich, Sam Coppola and Evangelos Giovanis star in the movie, of an R rating…



Mikis: Honorary member of Acedemy

World-renowned music composer Mikis Theodorakis was elected honorary member of the Academy of Athens in its May 30th plenary session. A distinguished personality of modern Greece, Theodorakis, originally from Crete, was born on the east Aegean island of Chios in 1925 and studied music at the Athens Conservatory under Filoktitis Economidis. He was awarded a Paris Conservatoire scholarship where he studied under Olivier Messiaen and Eugene Bizot. He is regarded as Greece's best-known living composer. He wrote and composed numerous works  including the music for the films "Zorba the Greek" (1964), "Z" (1969), and "Serpico" (1973).……Here’s a recap of events taking place in Athens and surrounding area in the month of July. As announced by the mayor of Athens There were none listed for August but I wouldn’t bet there weren’t any happening. For June 20 to July 7, there are play and dance performances by young artists at Kolonos open-air and Koumoundourou Sq. theaters.-June 29 to July 20, there will be concerts and plays at Attiko Alsos theater.-July 12 to July 14 there will be performances at the Open Air theater in Technopolis.-July 15 to 19. Performers from the PIIGS nations hit the hardest by the financial crisis (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) will hold the Second Festival of International Music…. There was a concert called One Armful of Songs held at the Stathakion Center on Saturday, the 1 of June with the participation of Tasso Papaioannou and Elias Makrinos (vocals, guitar,) Eleni Andreou and Makaria Psiliteli, (vocals,) Costa Psaros (bouzouki) Glafkos Kontemeniotis (piano,) and George Maniatis (piano.) It was organized by the Ionian Federation of America in cooperation with the Federation of Hellenic Societies of New York… The nation’s capital was graced with two cultural events of great interest. Both events occurred on June 8, the first being Mario Frangoulis in Concert, at GW Lisner Auditorium. The other was The Opera Camerata of Washington which presented Pagliacci the same day.   Greek American superstar Anastasia Jamieson and Metropolitan Opera's Gregory Buchalter as Conductor were featured. The event was hosted by the Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Christos P. Panagopoulos and was followed by a cocktail reception, held at the Fairfax Embassy Row Hotel……Also on June 6^th, Aktina Productions presented the Greek Music Journey 2013 celebrating 20 years of Excellence in programming by presenting Melina Aslanidou Unplugged and featuring the bouzouki of Andreas Karantinis at the The Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, in NYC. …

 For those who want to enjoy a week in South Jersey’s ocean-side, and taste the difference from Lake Michigan beaches, here’s what free entertainment you’ll get: Every Monday from June 24 to August 26 you can ogle-and hear-the Irish Piper Brigade on the boardwalk and 16^th Avenue in Wildwood between 7 and 9 pm.  Also there will be musical events on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2^nd and Surf Avenues in nearby North Wildwood at 8 pm. Also fireworks from June 28 to August 30 you can enjoy fireworks every Friday night at 10:30 pm. Now where would you like to stay? One place in North Wildwood is the Florentine Family Hotel where there are more surprises than you can fathom …..

 Chicago's Greek Media Club hosted Summer kickoff 2013 in a continuation of their 10th year celebration on Thursday, June 20th at Upper Crust…. An event of utmost importance took place at the Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City, and it was the Grand Tasting of the eternally Modern Wines of Greece. Over 50 wineries from Greece participated in this bacchanal event that this year featured regional tables focusing on individual varieties including older vintages…What came first, the chicken or the egg? The question here is which Artopolis came first? The one in Chicago or the one in New York? They’re both bakeries but if I’m correct, Artopolis in Chicago has bigger Café facilities than its namesake in New York which is limited to just a few tables…Another Pastry Shop or Patisserie if you wish is Zorba’s owned by the Panagiotopoulos brothers..Speaking of bakeries, one to visit is the Bay Ridge Bakery in Brooklyn, NY, which besides Greek products it features everything that Europe has to offer. It is owned by John Nikolopoulos, a recognizable name in the pastry circles….The Pegasus restaurant and the Pegasus On The Fly at the O’Hare airport, both feature Mediterranean menus….In Chicago you also must visit Nia restaurant’s summer terrace. You’ll also like its live entertainment and other seasonal events. Nia Asimis is the owner of this establishment in the West loop…Have you been to Dengeo’s Restaurant in Skokie, IL? If you haven’t, you must know that it is one of the most frequented establishments in the area….Authentic Greek Cuisine is what is served at Melanthios Greek Char House on Broadway Avenue in Chicago. The restaurant is open seven days a week… The latest Greek restaurant in the Manhattan scene belongs to Nikos Karvelas and is located at 200 East 60^th Street. It’s name: Anassa (Breath) Taverna.

Word of The Month: Prosopagnosia; Not recognizing people you’ve met. Word coined after a condition of Brad Pitt. Composed of  the Hellenic Words Προσωπον and Άγνοια.

 

 

 

Heralding the Truth

Did you know that we Hellenes are the second in the world as far as bank deposits in Switzerlad? It’s a bad thing, naturally, but the fact is that ‘money isn’t scarce!’ It’s hard to convince this money of repatriation since they’re afraid they’ll be eaten by the ‘chickens’ (need explain which are the chickens? Just refer to the Greek proverb that ‘whoever gets mixed up with the chicken feed is eaten by the chickens’

Jennifer Aniston shows off her stripper skills in the new red band trailer for her upcoming movie We’re the Millers. The 40-something actress portrays a hooker in the kooky drug-running scheme and Jason Sudeikis co-stars as a small-time pot dealer who cooks up a plan to smuggle drugs from Mexico, so he hires a fake family composed of Anniston’s character, one of his young neighbors  (Will Poulter) and a ‘gutter punk ‘ (Emma Roberts.) The faux dysfunctional family then crosses the border in an RV to pick up what turns out to be a massive amount of marijuana….A Special Screening of "What If..."was held May 25^th during the Gabby Awards weekend celebration in Hollywood, CA with Greece’s highly acclaimed actor-director Christoforos Papakaliatis personally presented his flick and spoke about it, taking questions from the audience on his ‘love story developing against obstacles and upsets caused by life itself and not by other people.  The screening was sponsored by Nikos Fillas of NYC’s Hellas FM. The movie has so far grossed $4.5 M since its debut in Greece half a year ago and is considered one of the top box office hits to date….Someone over at Time Magazine worries about punctuation in movie titles. One of the examples he gives in his article is My Big Fat Greek Wedding. “Without the comma, he explains, we can’t tell if it’s a wedding that’s larger than life or a ceremony of Hellenic sumo wrestlers.”Suggested fix: A comma-My Big, Fat Greek Wedding….The Cinema Village presented from May 31 to June 6 New York City Greek Festival’s Run It, by Evangelos and George Giovanis. The raw and often abrasive drama is about a boy who’s chased away from home by his mother’s violent lover and decides to play hooky from school and try the streets to score a quick fix for all his problems. Unfortunately everything goes wrong and the boy finds himself in more trouble that when he started. Louis Zorich, Sam Coppola and Evangelos Giovanis star in the movie, of an R rating…

World-renowned music composer Mikis Theodorakis was elected honorary member of the Academy of Athens in its May 30th plenary session. A distinguished personality of modern Greece, Theodorakis, originally from Crete, was born on the east Aegean island of Chios in 1925 and studied music at the Athens Conservatory under Filoktitis Economidis. He was awarded a Paris Conservatoire scholarship where he studied under Olivier Messiaen and Eugene Bizot. He is regarded as Greece's best-known living composer. He wrote and composed numerous works  including the music for the films "Zorba the Greek" (1964), "Z" (1969), and "Serpico" (1973).……Here’s a recap of events taking place in Athens and surrounding area in the month of July. As announced by the mayor of Athens There were none listed for August but I wouldn’t bet there weren’t any happening. For June 20 to July 7, there are play and dance performances by young artists at Kolonos open-air and Koumoundourou Sq. theaters.-June 29 to July 20, there will be concerts and plays at Attiko Alsos theater.-July 12 to July 14 there will be performances at the Open Air theater in Technopolis.-July 15 to 19. Performers from the PIIGS nations hit the hardest by the financial crisis (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece and Spain) will hold the Second Festival of International Music…. There was a concert called One Armful of Songs held at the Stathakion Center on Saturday, the 1 of June with the participation of Tasso Papaioannou and Elias Makrinos (vocals, guitar,) Eleni Andreou and Makaria Psiliteli, (vocals,) Costa Psaros (bouzouki) Glafkos Kontemeniotis (piano,) and George Maniatis (piano.) It was organized by the Ionian Federation of America in cooperation with the Federation of Hellenic Societies of New York… The nation’s capital was graced with two cultural events of great interest. Both events occurred on June 8, the first being Mario Frangoulis in Concert, at GW Lisner Auditorium. The other was The Opera Camerata of Washington which presented Pagliacci the same day.   Greek American superstar Anastasia Jamieson and Metropolitan Opera's Gregory Buchalter as Conductor were featured. The event was hosted by the Ambassador of Greece to the U.S. Christos P. Panagopoulos and was followed by a cocktail reception, held at the Fairfax Embassy Row Hotel……Also on June 6^th, Aktina Productions presented the Greek Music Journey 2013 celebrating 20 years of Excellence in programming by presenting Melina Aslanidou Unplugged and featuring the bouzouki of Andreas Karantinis at the The Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College, in NYC. …

 For those who want to enjoy a week in South Jersey’s ocean-side, and taste the difference from Lake Michigan beaches, here’s what free entertainment you’ll get: Every Monday from June 24 to August 26 you can ogle-and hear-the Irish Piper Brigade on the boardwalk and 16^th Avenue in Wildwood between 7 and 9 pm.  Also there will be musical events on Thursdays and Saturdays at 2^nd and Surf Avenues in nearby North Wildwood at 8 pm. Also fireworks from June 28 to August 30 you can enjoy fireworks every Friday night at 10:30 pm. Now where would you like to stay? One place in North Wildwood is the Florentine Family Hotel where there are more surprises than you can fathom …..

 

Chicago's Greek Media Club hosted Summer Kickoff 2013 in a constinuation of their 10th year celebration on Thursday, June 20th at Upper Crust...…. An event of utmost importance took place at the Dream Downtown Hotel in New York City, and it was the Grand Tasting of the eternally Modern Wines of Greece. Over 50 wineries from Greece participated in this bacchanal event that this year featured regional tables focusing on individual varieties including older vintages…What came first, the chicken or the egg? The question here is which Artopolis came first? The one in Chicago or the one in New York? They’re both bakeries but if I’m correct, Artopolis in Chicago has bigger Café facilities than its namesake in New York which is limited to just a few tables…Another Pastry Shop or Patisserie if you wish is Zorba’s owned by the Panagiotopoulos brothers..Speaking of bakeries, one to visit is the Bay Ridge Bakery in Brooklyn, NY, which besides Greek products it features everything that Europe has to offer. It is owned by John Nikolopoulos, a recognizable name in the pastry circles….The Pegasus restaurant and the Pegasus On The Fly at the O’Hare airport, both feature Mediterranean menus….In Chicago you also must visit Nia restaurant’s summer terrace. You’ll also like its live entertainment and other seasonal events. Nia Asimis is the owner of this establishment in the West loop…Have you been to Dengeo’s Restaurant in Skokie, IL? If you haven’t, you must know that it is one of the most frequented establishments in the area….Authentic Greek Cuisine is what is served at Melanthios Greek Char House on Broadway Avenue in Chicago. The restaurant is open seven days a week… The latest Greek restaurant in the Manhattan scene belongs to Nikos Karvelas and is located at 200 East 60^th Street. It’s name: Anassa (Breath) Taverna.

Word of The Month: Prosopagnosia; Not recognizing people you’ve met. Word coined after a condition of Brad Pitt. Composed of  the Hellenic Words Προσωπον and Άγνοια.