Ξένοι and cats

For those who haven't read Luis Sepulveda, I have a proposal.
Find the book, Story Of A Seagull And The Cat Who Taught Her To Fly, and please read it!
It's exactly what the title describes..
Being back home for Christmas I was surprised to find 4 new cats at my parents garden.
As they told me the first two were raised by a male cat( the panda) and subsequently these two cats "adopted" two grey kitties..
As a human being I feel ashamed by the lesson these cats gave me..
It reminded me once more how wild our human world is, especially towards those we call in greek Ξένος....

Today, December 30 I woke up with bad news...one of the cats was killed by a car..the rest mourn...they lost their father,their brother, the one who protected them...
Adio File...

Human Rights Day....see December 10

On December 10, the international community celebrated the so called Human Rights Day..
The weekend before I was in Paris attending a conference on Diplomacy of Human Rights.
The same day, ironically enough general Gaddafi visited Paris and signed several trade contracts with President Sarkozy, including a massive arms deal!
There is a lawsuit against Gaddafi brought by the NGO Avocats Sans Frontières, on behalf of a Palestinian doctor who was tortured repeatedly while imprisoned in Libya for the HIV case..
Gaddafi has immunity as a Head of State...

La Diplomatie Des Droits De L'Homme as the french would say..

Tejas Verdes...the Triumph of Inhumanity

A former Greek-American CIA agent admitted in an interview at ABC news, that they used waterboarding as a form of interrogation technique against an Al-Qaeda suspect. He "broke" in less than 35 seconds. Mr. Kiriakou admitted that waterboarding was torture but nevertheless necessary!

What is wateboarding?
"Waterboarding is a torture technique that simulates drawing in a controlled environment. It consists of immobilizing an individual on his or her back, with the head inclined downward, and pouring water over the face to force the inhalation of water into the lungs. Waterboarding has been used to obtain information, coerce confessions, punish, and intimidate. In contrast to merely submerging the head, waterboarding elicits the gag reflex, and can make the subject believe death is imminent. Waterboarding's use as a method of torture or means to support interrogation is based on its ability to cause extreme mental distress while possibly creating no lasting physical damage to the subject. The psychological effects on victims of waterboarding can last long after the procedure. Although waterboarding in cases can leave no lasting physical damage, it carries the real risks of extreme pain, damage to the lungs, brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation, injuries as a result of struggling against restraints (including broken bones), and even death."

Please check the website of the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture and why not make a contribution..it will be significant no matter what!http://http//www2.ohchr.org/english/about/funds/torture/

For those also who have the chance, go and see the play Tejas Verdes about the Pinochet Junta in Chile.It was officially called Prison Camp No. 2 of the Military Engineers' School, was one of the first concentration camps created by the military regime and was known primarily as a torture camp.

I saw the play first time in Ireland and I left the theatre speechless..when someone asked me why not torture I said two words: human dignity and when he insisted what I meant..I proposed him to see the play

Gioconda's smile

My recent visit in Louvre, made me look for a classic album written by Manos Hadjidakis, Gioconda's smile
Somehow I had the music in my ears walking around, with an enigmatic smile!

http://www.hadjidakis.gr/

http://www.louvre.fr

London-Paris, a week full of warmth and art

Tate Modern and Louise Bourgeois
Chicago The Musical
Louvre and Ancient Greece
Family, Friendship, Love..
ending up with a bad cold and a huge smile....
needless to mention new books and shoes!!!!!!

World Children Day or Night?

Yesterday Unicef published the new report titled Progress for Children.
Apparently during the last years there is some progress.
Same day, striking news from Australia:
9 rapists of a 10 year old aboriginal girl were allowed to walk free the court after admitting the rape.
The judge justified her decision claiming that the child "probably agreed to have sex" with the 9 men!

I always hated celebration days....

20th World Aids Day

No words...
only this link: http://www.46664.com
It is the campaign inaguarated by Nelson Madela to fight HIV in 2003.
46664 was his prison number.
He was prisoner 466 imprisoned in 1964.

I am a Mistake

I found the title unique.
It's the last Theatrography of Jan Fabre,who describing his self-destruction tendencies claims that:

"I am loyal to the pleasure that is trying to kill me"

For persistent smokers and not only!

Leaving New York..never easy!

Klimt exhibition at Neue Gallery. My friend A. introduced me to this amazing gallery and I strongly recommend it combined with a visit to Guggenheim museum,3 blocks further.

Kerouac exhibition at the Public Library.Everything you want to know about the writer of "On the Road" A Beautiful Soul ....

Having tea at Corner Cafe Shop,Bleecker and Broadway with T.
Brunch at Havana Cafe in Noho with A.and C.
Strolling around in Soho and Village with beloved friends.
Dinner with D. and A., without voice but with vivid spirit
Drinking the best martini ever!
and of course buying Shoes and Bookssss......

My avocado places:
5/9,Meatpacking
Turks and Frogs,West Village
55 Bar, Christopher Str
Ice cream on West 4rth
V Bar, Sullivan Street

My coconut places:
Pepe Rosso,Sullivan Street
Balthazar, Spring Street
Antique Garage, Mercer Street
Asia De Cuba, Madisson Avenue
Hudson Hotel
Veselka, 9th and 2nd Avenue
Carnegie Delli, 7th Avenue

Remebrance...November 17, 1973

November 17, 1973:
Athens Polytechnic uprising against the Military Junta.
After 3 days of protest, the tanks crashed the gates of Polytechnic School at 3 am. Bloodshed.
It seems that dictatorships apply same policies worldwide.
5 years ago in Mexico, same scene( thank you conejo for the photos)!
Lack of creativity of inhumanity as someone said...
Memories of my childhood: me holding a red carnation and the hand of my grandmam at the monument in Athens, beginning of 80's and the tears of my uncle who happened to be there that night, 17 year old boy...

Homosexuality, Ancient Greece and Iran

Some days ago I read a comment of an Iranian official that homosexuals should be tortured and sentenced to death.
The same day I read the publication of a book on ancient Greece and Greek love.
From antiquity to 21st Century, 2 countries with parallel history but different evolution!
maybe the Iranian official should buy the book!

A different game to combat poverty

The last days I think a lot on social and economic rights terms:
the number of deaths due to starvation are shocking!
then I came across this word game.
It's easy, simple and most important you contribute to the UN World Food Program.
Please have a look and circulate as well http://www.freerice.com

Cause in Bhutan, they measure the "Gross National Happiness Indicator" and in Philippines they talk about "Justice of Eating"

lhasa - el desierto

Thank you avocado

Lhasa de Sela - De cara a la pared

I'm in love with this song!

What about grey?

This morning I read an article about a zimbabwean refugee in S.Africa who died of starvation.He was trying to get a work permit, having nothing to eat for almost a month.
Later this afternoon, I read about the Amputee Football World Championship taking place these days in Antalya,Turkey.
National teams from Liberia,Sierra Leone, Ghana, Brasil, Russia, England and France take part, composed mostly by former soldiers.
I always thought that life should be black or white but I realize more and more that grey is the color that fits me better..

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7090730.stm
http://www.worldamputeefootball.com/

The P Word

"Propaganda, comes from propagatus perfect participle of propagare."
Thank you M. for the morning enlightenment on the P word

The departure of a 'conservative leftist'

Norman Mailer,the author of the "The Naked and Dead" and "The Armies of the NIght" died this Saturday at 84..
Among other things he said:"You never know a woman until you face her at a court room"

a fascist outburst and a royal shut up

the epitomy of diplomacy became the trendiest ringtone in Spain,"Ρor que no te callas"????????
Difficult times for Head of States....

Vogue Covers

For fashionista's and not only!

Torque, Farfalla, E....

Sunday morning-afternoon-evening after a very very stresfull week!
3 Friends today made me feel back to purple...

Persepolis comic and film

Persepolis is the famous comic of Marjane Satrapi where she describes her life as a girl in Iran after revolution.
The story has become an animated film and won the Prize of the Jury at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.
Persepolis is a creative graphic novel for every free mind...

To my french friend N. and my iranian friend R.

In the name of Justice

On Saturday evening, General Musharaf declared emergency rule in Pakistan.
This morning hundreds of lawyers and Human Rights activists protested against the suspension of the Constitution.
They were beaten and arrested.
This is one of these rare times, the logo of the T-shirt "Trust me, I'm a lawyer" has concrete meaning...so ironic!

the G Hotel

A fashion Hotel, the G is the absolute self-indulgence!

http://www.theghotel.ie/g/

The Law of Historical Memory

Today, the spanish parliament passed a bill which condemns for first time the 40 year dictatorship of Franco.

The law requires mass graves to be unearthed and all the symbols of facism to be removed.

First things in mind: The Guernica of Picasso and the story of a friend about his grandfather who had to flee to Mexico when the democrats lost.

I wonder whether he is still alive....

Follow up
December 1, 2007:A new video game has been released in Spain called "Sombras de guerra",featuring the spanish civil war. The players can choose sides and change the history...Cynical, educative or simply dangerous?

Torture in Greece? No never...

Once more the country of 'civilization' had to deal with hard reality.

The title of a newspaper described so vividly the current situation: "Elladanamo"

In 2007 torture techiques by greek officers like submarino inflicting on asylum seekers, shock the consciousness of every human being.Every?

Such an irony...the country of the first torture case the so called "greek case" before the ECHR in 1960's, denies to realize that the 'civilized' wolrd is capable of inhuman acts.

What would Aristotle say about modern Greece?

http://www.proasyl.de/en/index.html

Marx in Soho

Just came across this play written by Howard Zinn.

A confused Marx who returns to earth to clear his name but instead of Soho, London, he ends up in Soho NY!

Brilliant....

That story reminded me of another book by a greek writer, Mimis Androulakis, The last Tango of Che.

According to the story, Che is alive in Honk-Kong, he is a yappie who lives incognito with a much younger lover and gives an interview commenting on globalisation and 21st Century.

For those who can read greek , I strongly recommend it!

Pilobolous Dance Theatre

A unique dance performance team from Connecticut, USA.

Don't miss them!

http://www.pilobolus.com/

A picture I bought at W.Broadway Str. in Soho, NY walking around with a friend from London a Sunday afternoon.

It follows me wherever I go....

The List

The List is a work containing the names more than 7.000 refugees who died trying to access Europe.
Have a look: http://www.the-list.info/
so simple so real...

In the name of dignity

On October 2, 25.000 poor farmers started marching to New Delhi, protesting against government's land reform plan.
Today they arrived in New Delhi.

Very relevant book:
Amartya Sen, Development as Freedom

Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Trailer

Lust, Caution!
Simply human

Thessaloniki International Film Festival

For dream lovers

http://www.filmfestival.gr/index_uk.htm

Manolo Blanhik and Salonika

Checking the site of Manolo Blanhik I got astonished when I found out the name of an amazing shoe design: Salonika.
The City where I studied and fell in love with...
A cosmopolitan city, a crossroad of cultures, languages and mystery....

Salonika: The city of ghosts as Mazower says.....