Travelogue… with Bob Nicolaides

Student confessed the hoax bomb alarm to easyJet flight

 

The Bomb was a Hoax

A student has admitted making a hoax phone call claiming there was a bomb on an Hatji Ioannou’s easyJet flight from London Gatwick to Turkey.  Muhammet Demir, 20, of no fixed abode, called police shortly before 4.30pm on Tuesday September 9 and said he has seen a bomb on the flight destined for Izmir. At the time, the flight was taxiing on the runway with 170 passengers on board.

It was recalled and met by armed police. Police officers, Gatwick and airline staff, traced the call to 20-year-old Demir, who had been due to board the flight. Although they established it was a hoax, the incident still delayed the flight by three hours. Police forces around the country were notified and Demir was arrested as he tried to board a flight at Luton Airport.

The Turkish national admitted making the call but did not say why. At Brighton Magistrates' Court this week, Demir pleaded guilty to a charge of communicating a false message to cause a bomb hoax. He was remanded in custody and is due to appear before a crown court for sentencing on a date to be set.

Where Myths Come Alive
You want enchantment? Take the Venice to Istanbul 11-day Enchantment cruise onboard Holland America Line’s ms Zuiderdam and stop at Katakolon where you can be transferred by bus to Olympia, on to Nafplion and Athens, continue to Kusadasi, then on to Mykonos,  Rhodes, and Santorini before you head for the Dardanelles and end up in Istanbul.

Ancient Olympia

In ancient Olympia see the birthplace of the original and true Olympic Games, presided over a 40-ft satue of Zeus. The statue is gone but the temple ruins remain, along with the original marble starting blocks. In Delos, an isle adjacent to Mykonos reached by boat, you’ll see the mythical birthplace of Apollo and his sister Artemis (Diana) both children of Zeus and Leto.  Leto sought refuge on the island from the jealous Hera, Zeus’ consort, who was pursuing her. Poseidon anchored the floating island for the birth. Delos was declared sacred and ikt was forbidden for any mortal to be born or die on the island, which remains uninhabited today, occupied only by extensive ruins.

This  and many more sights on this trip the savings fare will cost you $1,999 with free cruise fares for third and fourth guests.   

 Hello Kitty Flights Now Headed To Paris Thanks To EVA Air

 

While the world wrestles with shock from the recent announcement that Hello Kitty is not a cat, a happier piece of news comes our way from EVA Air: cat or not, Hello Kitty planes will begin flying routes to Paris next month in celebration of Hello Kitty's 40th birthday (due to Kitty's youthful appearance, we assume this birthday is in cat years).

Kitty's Paris

EVA currently operates Hello Kitty flights between Taipei and Los Angeles -- besides featuring adorable Kitty scenes on the outside, the jets are tricked out to the Kitty max on the inside.

 Think Hello Kitty luggage tags for every passenger, Hello Kitty headrests and drink coasters, Hello Kitty soap in the lavatory and in-flight meals where every last melon slice, cheese piece and dessert cake is shaped like Hello Kitty's adorable head.

The new Paris flights will add in new Hello Kitty silverware, new Hello Kitty placemats and a new Hello Kitty menu (cat croissants, perhaps?). They'll fly from Taipei to Paris three times per week starting on Oct. 29.

According to the London Daily Mail, Sanrio reps say they designed the Hello Kitty flights to "make flying fun and spread happiness among passengers all over the globe."

 

Jet-ski crash killed a newly-wed on Greek Island

A British man, reported to have been two days into his honeymoon, has been killed in a jet ski crash on the Greek island of Santorini. Kingston-upon-Thames estate agent Jeremy Hope, 39, is reported to have collided with another jet ski driven by a friend, who had been at his wedding.



Jet ski kills groom

According to latest reports, the newly-wed continued sunbathing after the accident was later airlifted to hospital in Crete when he started to feel unwell. He died of severe head and chest injuries on the way. The friend, 29, was detained at Athens Airport as he tried to fly to visit Mr Hope in hospital. He was arrested, along with the owner of the jet ski hire company, and both are due to appear in court today, when they may be charged with negligent homicide.

Mr Hope and his bride Sarah Greaves, 29, were believed to be staying at four-star Antinea Hotel, a short walk from the beach.

 

Google to help small tourism business in Greece

 

Internet giant, Google, has done it again. This time, they have extended a helping hand to Greece's tourism industry, by initiating management courses for 3000 tourism related businesses. In an attempt to promote tourism in the dainty island of Crete, Google has made it a point to help small businesses flourish in the city.

Google help

Google has proved that nothing is impossible, especially when there is a will to accomplish a certain task. In order to help small companies setup their business successfully, Google will launch the mission in September. Depending on the success of the program, the methodology would be rolled out to benefit other prominent sectors.

This way Google is expected to help the Greek economy, which has been struggling to break free from the iron clad chains of recession. Industry union, Sete, reported that the whole economy is hoping to finally be able to move on after the bitter episode of economic reforms and recession. Google is said to make full use of their Google My Business and Google AdWords program in order to bring visibility and power to the companies struggling to leave a mark on the Internet.
What’s in it for Google? Google is one of the biggest Internet search providers in the world currently. The company has also been known to invest heavily in its philanthropic initiatives all throughout the world. Given the mutual interest related to the growth of the Greek economy, Google hopes to expand its horizons as the Greek economy flourishes over the oncoming years.

The Greek authority is currently expecting to welcome around 21 million tourists by the end of the year 2014. With the advent of the tourist season, the Greek Government can expect a whopping increase in the number of jobs available in the market over the oncoming months.

Manu, Peru: Is tourism harming remote tribes?   A pressure group is urging tourists to refrain from unsolicited contact with un-contacted tribes around the world, following reports of increased encounters with tribes in Peru. Visitors to the rainforests of the Manu National Park in Peru are being urged not to take part in “human safaris” aimed at providing voyeuristic sightings of members of the country’s last surviving un-contacted tribes. The call for restraint comes from Survival International, a pressure group fighting for the rights of tribal peoples worldwide. And it follows hot on the heels of disturbing reports of an increase in encounters between outsiders and the uncontacted Indian tribes of Peru. Last weekend, a missionary travelling in a tour company’s boat along the Madre de Dios river bordering the national park left clothes and food on the banks intended for members of the un-contacted Maschco-Piro tribe. At the same time, news emerged of an incident in May involving six Maschco-Piro women who entered a tourist lodge deep in the national park itself and removed metallic cooking pots. “We are very nervous about these developments and are urging all tourists to remain clear of the affected areas,” said Rebecca Spooner, Survival International’s campaigner for Peruvian tribal people. “These people have no immunity to diseases we take for granted such as flu and measles – diseases that can be contracted through wearing our clothes. Such gestures may be well intended, but there is a real risk that through unsolicited contact, an entire people could be wiped out.” The Manu Biosphere Reserve in the western part of the Amazon is one of the world’s greatest primary rainforests and home to more than 1,000 birds, 15,000 plants, countless types of trees and rare mammal species such as the jaguar and the giant river otter. Most visitors are more than happy to spend their time enjoying the spectacular scenery and the extraordinary scents and sounds of the forest. But there is an inevitable frisson about knowing that deep within that rainforest there are a number of “un-contacted” tribes, peoples who, while not wholly oblivious to the world around them, have chosen to keep themselves apart. The main threat to Peru’s estimated 15 un-contacted tribes comes from illegal loggers and miners wanting to exploit the resources on their lands. But there is a huge danger from curious tourists too – encouraged by companies that offer trips in which, they suggest, there may be a sighting of loin cloth-wearing tribes-people. “Two years ago we first started getting reports of companies seeking to 'sex-up’ their tours by offering possible sightings of tribes-people and we made a huge complaint,” said Spooner. “The laws were tightened forbidding publicizing such tours or using images of the tribes people on websites. Operators were also instructed not to stop if tribes-people were sighted along the banks of the Madre de Dios. Survival International is concerned that “human safaris” in Peru could escalate to the level of the extremely damaging tours through the Jarawa reserve in the Andaman Islands of India and is urging a temporary halt to tourist activity in the Manu National Park – and the affected neighboring areas until the situation stabilizes. Responsible tourist companies in the region are already heeding many of the guidelines and advising clients that itineraries may have to change at short notice should further tribal sightings be reported. “We are very aware of the dangers to un-contacted tribes of diseases visitors from the outside world may carry and if we are asked not to take our groups into the national park then we don’t,” said Quinn Meyer, the founder of Crees, a wildlife research centre in the Manu which aims at promoting a sustainable future for the region, and which last year started running tours. “If one of our boats did spot some un-contacted tribes on the river bank we would immediately turn around. We would never treat it as a photo opportunity. “Besides there is also a danger issue for us. The last thing we’d want is for one of our guests to be shot at by a bow and arrow.”

Archaeologists Return to Zante for Philip II of Spain shipwreck

 

The Shipwreck

A 16th century shipwreck that had been located in the eighties two kilometers off the port of Zakynthos island will be again in the focus of Culture Ministry's archaeologists studies. The 20-meter-long, vessel that shipwrecked near the port of Zakynthos in the Ionian Sea most likely participated in the 1571 Naval Battle of Nafpaktos, one of the most important sea battles in world history.

The shipwreck, the only one discovered in Greece that dates back to the era of Philip II of Spain, was found in the 1980s by local speargun fishermen and in the 1990s it was studied by Greek archeologists in cooperation with Oxford University scientists. The part of its hull that was pulled out of the sea has been covered by geotextile to protect it from being eaten away by worms within the framework of an innovative method created by the Athens’ technological educational institutes (TEI).

However, the research has been interrupted four years ago. The archaeologists will stay on Zakynthos for approximately a month while in the research team participate divers that will dive in the area of the shipwreck in order to find and reveal the other part of the ship that is still under tons of mud.



Archaeological finds

Byzantine Grave Unearthed in Thessaloniki

A grave dating back to the Byzantine period and human remains were unearthed during works for the installation of underground waste containers along Thessaloniki's downtown Agia Sofia Street, it was announced on Wednesday.



The findings were located after workers dug a hole that was just one meter deep. According to deputy mayor Thanassis Pappas “the working crews found traces of a Byzantine wall, a Byzantine grave and a small vessel, most likely dating back to the 14th century AD. A second grave, partially destroyed by underground utility networks, with a human skeleton in it, was also found”.

The works for the installation of underground waste containers are carried out in the presence of archaeologists.      

 

 

Travelogue… with Bob Nicolaides

 

The world's largest solar-powered boat arrives in Greece

The world's largest solar-powered boat has arrived in southern Greece to participate in an ambitious underwater survey that will seek traces of what could be one of the oldest human settlements in Europe. The Swiss-Greek project starts now and archaeologists hope it will shed new light on how the first farming communities spread through the continent. Working near a major prehistoric site, they will investigate a bay aptly called Kiladha — Greek for valley. The area was once dry land and archaeologists operating off the MS Turanor Planet Solar hope it may contain sunken remains of buildings from Neolithic times, when farming started, about 9,000 years ago.Mission leader Julien Beck, from the University of Geneva, said  the team picked Kiladha Bay because it laps on Greece's oldest and most important Neolithic site, the Franchthi Cave. The cave was inhabited on and off for about 35,000 years — from 40,000 years ago when the first anatomically modern humans appeared, until mankind started using metal tools.

 

 

Ten stupid things tourists have done in Italy

 

Tourists have a habit of misbehaving in Italy, judging from recent headlines. From the Australian caught jumping into the Trevi Fountain to the Frenchman having an orgy in the Pompeii brothel, we’ve singled out ten of the most stupid things tourists have done.

Misbehaving tourists have become something of an occupational hazard for authorities in Italy of late. Hardly a week goes by without reports of yet another reckless holidaymaker wreaking havoc in one of Italy’s top tourist destinations. So for your amusement and – we hope – future reference, here is a list of ten of the most stupid things tourists have done in Italy:

It’s said to be a common fantasy: having sex in Pompeii's former red-light district, which is decorated with explicit frescoes. This week, a Frenchman and two Italian women were caught in mid-orgy in the Roman town and subsequently arrested. “They don’t understand the cultural value of the frescoes at all,” a tour guide complained to The Local.

It goes without saying that carrying a dangerous weapon isn’t the norm in Italy. But this was news to a 62-year-old German tourist (not the man in the photo) who was caught with a Samurai sword near a popular Catholic shrine in Naples. He told police he was carrying the weapon to protect himself.

Last year, an American tourist got into trouble after he accidentally snapped a finger off a 600-year-old statue in Florence's Galleria dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore by 14th- and 15th-century sculptor Giovanni d’Ambrogio. Ironically – or perhaps worryingly – the man turned out to be a surgeon.

An eternal reminder of a visit to one of Rome's most iconic monuments – or reckless vandalism? In case you were wondering, carving your name into the 2000-year-old Colosseum is against the law in Italy, as this hapless Dutchman and German woman (not the people pictured) discovered this week.. In January, an Australian father was charged with vandalism and his 12-year-old son reported to the public prosecutor of a juvenile court for the same offence.

Not only have tourists been caught carving their names into the priceless monument, but they have also been known to steal pieces of it. In March, a Canadian teenager tried to stow a brick in her backpack during a school trip. She was spotted by another visitor who took a photo and told the site staff, who in turn called the police. The brick was confiscated.

Dining al fresco may not seem like a crime but in October 2012, the Mayor of Rome made it illegal to consume snacks and junk food on or around the city’s monuments. Anyone caught doing so may now face a fine of between €25 to €500  ($32 to $650). One Italian police officer told NBC News that he once caught a group of tourists who had set up a table on the Spanish Steps, complete with tablecloth and cutlery.



Swim in the fountain

Tourists trying to recreate the famous Trevi Fountain scene in La Dolce Vita are not uncommon in Rome. In May, an Australian tourist was fined €180 after he jumped into the 250-year-old Baroque fountain. An onlooker even posted a video of it on YouTube.

An American girl angered residents in Florence when she was caught urinating at a taxi rank in the heart of the city. Taxi drivers and people sitting in Piazza Santa Croce looked on with dismay as she crouched between two cars to relieve herself. The scene was caught on camera by a taxi driver.

Some tourists just can’t resist the temptation to add a personal touch to some of Italy’s finest works of architecture, it would seem. Last year, a woman from Turkey was fined €160 for vandalism and told to clean the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence after attempting to scrawl names on it with nail polish. That same month, a German tourist was also ordered to clean the famous bridge and pay a €160 fine after his daughter drew on it with felt-tip pen.

In 2012 two young foreigners, believed to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol, were photographed having sex beneath the statue of medieval poet Dante Alighieri in Piazza Santa Croce, Florence. The incident sparked outrage in Florence and prompted city councilor Mario Razzanelli to complain that the area had become an “open-air brothel”.

 

 

Exclusive Collection from TUI

 

Thomson and First Choice have launched a range of exclusive excursions, bookable online and in store. The 'Collection' is a set of excursions designed to help customers get a true taste of the destination they're visiting. According to parent TUI, each one has also gone through a checklist to guarantee that they include sustainability principles and have no commercial stops.

 All excursions must have at least three of the six features that have been put in place to set them apart from excursions offered by other tour operators. Where possible they will also include wi-fi on the excursion, point out local gems that only a tour guide with detailed local knowledge will find and be all-inclusive. At present, excursions are available in Majorca, Cyprus, Corfu, Crete, Tenerife, Dominican Republic (Puerto Plata and Punta Cana) and Turkey (Dalaman).

"We're very conscious about the impact of our holidays on the environment and local community and are always looking at ways of reducing this, and including our excursions in this is the next step for us," said Jane Ashton, group director of sustainable development.

India: Houseboat industry under scanner for sex tourism

 

ALAPPUZHA: The district administration has initiated steps for monitoring the houseboat industry following reports of sex tourism and possibility of extremist elements using the facilities.

The move follows an alert from additional director general of police (intelligence) A Hemachandran. District collector N Padmakumar has sought reports from the district police chief and the port officer— who is responsible for issuing licences to houseboats—in this regard.

"The ADGP alerted us that there is no efficient monitoring of the houseboat industry. He wanted us to take action against sex tourism and check details of those renting these houseboats. He even warned us that houseboats could turn a safe haven for extremists," Padmakumar said.

He said the district administration would soon form squads in association with port department and police and start raiding houseboats in September.

India Houseboat

People associated with the industry confirmed reports of sex tourism. "We have arranged sex workers for some guests who demanded such services. However, we try to avoid such guests," said Akhil, a houseboat employee from Muhamma.

Anu Renjith, district manager of state AIDS control society's 'Suraksha' project, said 800 of 1,528 sex workers in Alappuzha worked in association with the industry. She said only 20 houseboat operators had allowed the society to install condom boxes in their boats as part of its safe-sex initiative.

District tourism promotion council secretary C Pradeep also said not all houseboat operators followed its directives. "Only 637 of the 1,000-1,200 houseboats operating in the district have completed the registration process. We had stopped giving permission for new houseboats last year but new houseboats are still being launched."

He said all houseboat operators were instructed to keep a clients' register following the houseboat accident in Punnamada Lake on January 26 last year, which claimed four lives. "They were also directed to submit the register to the DTPC for inspection but they protested against it, We don't have a clear picture about tourists hiring houseboats."

He said around 2,59,000 domestic tourists and 58,000 foreign tourists had visited the district last year, as per the records from hotels and resorts.

R R Joshiraj, a major houseboat operator, said the industry never encouraged sex tourism. "Such instances could be there. But the majority are ready to cooperate with the government in cracking down such illegal practices," he added.

 

Killer beach in Cyprus gets 15th victim

 

PAPHOS beaches head is pressing for permanent measures to be undertaken at a deadly stretch of coastline which claimed its 15th victim.  A 60 year old Russian tourist drowned in the deadly seas off the Chlorakas coastline, in front of his wife and ten-year-old son. Attempts were made to resuscitate the man but police said he was pronounced dead at Paphos general hospital.

He was the 15th victim to lose his life in the deadly waters in the last ten years. There have also been hundreds of reported near-drownings, most of these victims were guests staying at hotels and tourist apartments in the area.

 Head of the Paphos municipality beaches committee Andreas Chrysanthou told the Cyprus Mail: “This is a tragic loss of life but sadly this is human behavior. People often don’t consider the risk and are confident that they are good swimmers and can handle any situation. But this isn’t the case.”

Chrysanthou added that Paphos municipality had taken every possible measure to warn the public of the dangers of swimming in the area and to ensure their safety. “There are huge signs in place all along the shoreline in Greek, English, Russian, French and German informing people of the dangerous rip currents, as well as red flags.”

There is no designated lifeguard on duty because the area has been officially declared as unsuitable for swimming and extremely dangerous. However, Chrysanthou noted that a nearby hotel had employed a member of staff to warn people not to swim at this beach.  The deadly stretch of coast – with its rip currents and high waves – runs for about five kilometers from Chlorokas to Kissonerga in a popular tourist area.

The beaches’ head said the council were presented with a detailed study of that area last Thursday, which they are now pressing to implement by the end of the year.  “We are determined to find a solution to the problems in the area once and for all.”

 The study found that it will cost around €1 million to complete all of the necessary structural work at the beach, which will include wave breakers. The councilor said that the public works department has assured the municipality that although the state is broke, they would endeavor to obtain the money for the structural fund from the EU- hopefully by the end of the year.  “We are pressuring the government to implement this study quickly. The local hotel owners were also present at the meeting and agreed with the study.”  According to Chrysanthou, the structural drawings are ready, and in early September the technical school of Athens will make a 3D model to predict how the rip current will behave after the study has been implemented, with 90 per cent accuracy. “We will then proceed with the tender process and seek the necessary funding,” he said.

 The mayor of Paphos Savvas Vergas is meeting with the minister of communications and works to try and speed up the process, which has the backing of the beaches committee, the municipality and local businesses, he noted.  “I believe the only solution for this area is create these wave breakers. And €1 million is nothing compared with a human life and the negative impact for tourism in Paphos,” said Chrystanthou.

 

 

As The World Churns

By Bob Nicolaides 10/14

Do you  know who plied the seas of the world on the private yacht of the Latsis group this past summer,  the same vessel  on which the elder Bush  saw the Aegean islands some decades ago? It was King Abdullah of  Saudi Arabia. The name of the ship is Alexander……

Partial view of Tirana Cathedral

Europe-bred, Greek-descent, seven-time winner of the worldwide kick-boxing title Nenad Pagonis who has faced hundreds of opponents over the years, says his heart is broken seeing the miserable condition in which the country in which his grandfather from his dad’s side has gotten…

You folks may remember that it was master architect Stephen Papadatos the man who designed the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Tirana, Albania. The magnificent structure and the adjacent spire, as well as the Center next door, took ten years to be completed and at least twenty personal  trips to the site……..South Jersey’s Greek Spirit TV show host and poet extraordinaire George Burlotos defines why he is proud to be Greek and so should  everyone of us: ‘Because,‘ he says ‘40% of the words in the Oxford Dictionary are words with a Greek root.’ That’s the first reason he gives. The second is because of what Greeks call “philotimo,” and its myriad meanings of love, empathy, sacrifice and much more, not only for fellow Greeks but for all humankind and nature.  And you know what? This word does not exist in any other language. Burlottos has a third reason also: We should be proud because Socrates, Plato, Atistotle and so many other wise men, all belonged to the Greek race….How many of you remember crooner Apostolos Nicolaidis, the New York band leader who died more than a decade ago? If you do, it will be good news to you the fact that  his daughter is alive and well and living somwhere along the Jersey shore. You may not have taken notice but nowadays she goes by the name of Christina Demopoulos which is the surname of her third husband she lives with along with her two young children…..The sad news is that former New York bandleader, guitarist and singer Tasso Mavris (Mavridoglou) who starred in the Feenjon shows half a century ago passed away in Athens, Greece where he lived these last ten years. He died following surgery to relieve an intestinal blockage caused by cancer. Tasso whose plans were to return to the US along with his two children, Litsa and Thanassi, remained unfulfilled. Litsa is in Athens with her baby, and Thanassi is in Georgia (the nation) with his wife, with their plans being put on hold due to their father’s death….

Hey Basile Fans! Make note that there is only ONE GREEK SHOW at Kowloons and that is on Friday, October 3 at 9:45pm. But don't despair, if you haven't seen his regular/general show now is your chance! Who needs to go to Atlantic City when you can see Basile in Saugus, right in MA?



Aniston for Kardashian

HBO has confirmed that decorated actress Meryl Streep will portray the legendary opera singer Maria Callas in the US network's film adaptation of Master Class. The film will be based on the Tony Award-winning play of the same name by Terrence McNally, which debuted on Broadway in 1995. The HBO network has selected Meryl Streep for the role after her astonishing performance playing the world-famous chef Julia Child in "Julie & Julia" and the iconic British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady."… Jennifer Aniston is a huge fan of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. And she loves watching Kim Kardashian on the reality show…

George Mandilaras and wife Rena, the original owners of Kyclades Taverna in Astoria just opened a new restaurant with the same winning format calling it Syros Taverna in Englewood, NJ, a neihborhood where lots of Hellenes make their home. The establishment headed by chef—co-owner Elias Kostakis in the kitchen is already so poplar you almost have to beg for a table any night of the week. It is so popular that actor Richard Gear brought his girl Padma Lakshmi to treat her to a huge branzini that was deboned for her. She was so excited that she told her table neighbors that they were looking for a house around the neighborhood…. The latest restaurant to adopt restaurateur Nick Kokonas' ticketing system is not exactly a fine dining establishment with a prix fixe menu, but a smaller, casual restaurant with a la carte options. According to a tweet from Kokonas, Tuck Shop in Phoenix, Ariz. has switched to tickets, but the restaurant is using a different model. Typically at high-end restaurants like Alinea and Coi, customers pay for the entire meal, plus tax and service, upfront. However, according to Tuck Shop's website, their tickets are more like deposits on a reservation: "The amount you pay for the ticket is applied toward your final bill.

 

Ethos Performing Arts will bring you Greece for a Lifetime with Stavros Xarhakos, Stamatis Kokotas  and Iro Saia. Both artists bring a distinctive blend of contemporary Greek music to Stern Auditorium/ Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York City, on Saturday, October 4th at 8 pm at the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall. Tickets are priced $40—$120 and are available at the Carnegie Hall Box Office…. A musical Tribute to Manos Hatzidakis takes place at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College with the music of Giannis Savvidakis and his musicians on November 9 with an after concert party at the Veranda restaurant in Bayside. It all comes to you via  Aktina productions…

 

Hey Basile Fans! Make note that there is only ONE GREEK SHOW at Kowloons and that is on Friday, October 3 at 9:45pm. But don't despair, if you haven't seen his regular/general show now is your chance! Who needs to go to Atlantic City when you can see Basile in Saugus????



Ploutarhos

Terry Poulos says: Reverie restaurant grand opening in Chicago for Lou Canellis and media colleagues...Ellen Karis penned Washington Post op-ed..Jennifer Zarouchliotis made a "Splash" in Sun-Times...Author Alexandros Nicholas Pattakos and his wife Elaine Dundon, co-authors of The Opa! Way, present at NHM...Speaking of the National Hellenic Museum, they hosted Kouzina Night Oct. 16...30th work anniversary for Indy-based Denny Kladis...Fantasy football book by Jim Saranteas rises on Amazon in its genre..Helen Karakoudas Redfern opens new software firm...5th anniversary "Greek Hour" radio show for Cleveland's Valerie Varlamos...Anthe and Vasiliki Mitrakos release Summer magazine issue...New music video by Lexy Prodromos and Stephany Prodromos...Professor Eve Geroulis education blog...Bill Apostol two-year anniversary with Omega Media Partners...Anastasios Papapostolou Greek Reporter take on Maria Callas and Athens Theater Museum deterioration...Bill Marianes religion blog...Yiannis Ploutarhos Chicago performance Oct. 25, promoted by Nick Andriopoulos...

 Word of the Month: Plethora from the Gr. Πληθώρα