... 70, recalled with a laugh earlier this week from a stop in Santa Barbara on the tour that reaches the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
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How the world sees Greece
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Why Did the Greek Director Reject Mel Gibson?
Greek-Australian director George Miller explained the reasons why Mel Gibson did not star in the anticipated Mad Max remake. Three decades ago ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT au.greekreporter.com |
Greece might lose 178 mln euro over Russia’s ban on imports of its agricultural produce
On August 7, Russia imposed a package of measures to respond to economic sanction from the United States, Australia, Canada, the European Union and Norway
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT en.itar-tass.com |
TRANSFER NEWS: Liverpool agree Moreno deal, Arsenal eye Greek star, Man Utd's Rojo delight
LIVERPOOL have agreed a £12m deal for Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno, Arsenal are poised to launch a £8m offer for Greece international Kostas ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.express.co.uk |
Lending the Greek touch
Out of the Box. Different: Vrindaa Ashwani. New Delhi-based designer Vrindaa Ashwani was recently in the City for Bangalore Fashion Week where ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.deccanherald.com |
Three Greek life organizations banned from UConn
The Sigma Chi fraternity was suspended earlier this year for hazing, officials said. (WFSB file photo). Three Greek life organizations banned from ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.wfsb.com |
Vast tomb unearthed in northern Greece
Archaeologists in Greece have discovered a vast tomb that they believe is connected with the reign of the warrior-king Alexander the Great, who ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
'Extremely Important' Tomb From Alexander the Great Era Found in Greece
Archaeologists excavating an ancient mound in northern Greece have uncovered what appears to be the entrance to an important tomb from about the ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.nbcnews.com |
Volunteer drivers needed to assist seniors
This service is currently available to any senior living in Henrietta, Northeast Greece, and the South Wedge area of Rochester. A similar program is ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greecepost.com |
Living With War in an Age of Perpetual Conflict
A broad consensus has emerged that Israel's withdrawal from Gaza, and the dismantling of Gush Katif, was a catastrophe that led to three Hamas wars. It may well lead to more. As a country that has been at war, with little respite, since its inception, what is Israel to do in an age of seeming perpetual conflict? The same question might be put to the United States which thought it had extricated itself from Iraq only to be pulled right back into the conflict by ISIS? The United States plans to remove all combat troops from Afghanistan by end of this year, but few believe that this will be the end of American involvement. Judaism extols peace above all other goals. But that doesn't mean it derides the concept of defensive war. True, King David was told by God that he could not build the Temple because he had shed blood in war. It would be left to his son Solomon who was a man of peace. Yet David still has the higher place in Jewish history. The Messiah, who will one day bring lasting peace, is called the Son of David rather than the Son of Solomon because it was David's vanquishing of the enemy that allowed for Solomon's peace. The same is true in American history. George Washington was not a man of peace. He was a man of war. He could easily have lived the peaceful life of a Virginia planter and overlooked British taxation and increasing tyranny. The Canadians did so and they do not today seem that oppressed, even with the Queen's visage on their currency and stamps. Washington could have waited for Britain's rule to gradually relax, as did our neighbors to the North. But it's precisely because he didn't that he is remembered as the father of our nation. Lincoln was the same. Eventually, slavery would have been abolished. Many historians point out the economic ruin that slavery was bringing to the South compared to the industrialized North who had to build machines to do their work since they lacked slaves. But Lincoln saw slavery as a monstrous injustice. Its abolition could not wait. Amazingly, he sacrificed the lives of 700,000 Americans to end the abominable practice and save the Union. Dwight Eisenhower's presidency in the 1950s is today remembered as a time of phenomenal prosperity and tranquility for America. But that's only because he utterly vanquished the German forces of tyranny that preceded his tenure. I'm not knocking peace. To the contrary, it was the Jews who taught a savage, barbaric, and militant ancient world that peace was the highest ideal. Even the UN -- no friend of Israel -- acknowledges as much with its Isaiah wall and its famous quotation, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2:4) It was the Jews who rejected the entire concept of glory deriving from the battlefield. Our greatest warrior, David, is remembered for his harp and lyre rather than his sword and shield. Our astounding military victory over the Assyrian Greeks at Hanuka in the Second Century BCE is remembered not for a triumph of arms but for allowing the rededication of the Temple and the miracle of lights. Search the length and breadth of both ancient and modern Israel and, unlike Rome and its Arches of Titus and Constantine, you will never find a single triumphant military arch. Israel today has memorials for fallen soldiers. That is all. Even the electrifying victory of the Six Day War has never been commemorated with any parades as a military triumph. But Judaism still embraces the concept of a defensive war that protects life and facilitates peace. One hundred years ago last week the world commemorated the centennial of the War to End All Wars. The First World War is today acknowledged to have been the greatest military folly in the history of the world, fought for almost no tangible reason, achieving virtually no discernible goals. And it led directly to an even more deadly conflagration, the Second World War and the Holocaust. War is a terrible thing. But why has Europe been at peace ever since? Because of the total destruction of Germany and Japan's capacity to make war. Franklin Roosevelt did not have to insist on unconditional surrender at the Casablanca Conference of 1943. Even Churchill thought it might be taking things to an extreme. But Roosevelt did not want a Third World War to succeed the Second. He realized that only by carrying through the battle against the Nazis and the Japanese to the absolute end would militarism as an idea be defeated by these two powers. He borrowed the term "Unconditional Surrender" from the response given by Ulysses S. Grant to the Confederate Commander at Fort Donelson and said to the nation in a radio address, "In our uncompromising policy we mean no harm to the common people of the Axis nations. But we do mean to impose punishment and retribution upon their guilty, barbaric leaders." No one wants Israel or the United States to become accustomed to war. We Jews pray thrice daily for peace. But neither should we dismiss the morality of wars fought to stop terrorism and neutralize and defeat barbaric regimes like Hamas. Only through their defeat can there be peace. The three Jewish patriarchs might be said to represent three Jewish postures toward war. Abraham is the isolationist. Avraham Ha'Ivri means "Abraham who stood apart." Abraham fought wars to protect his vital interests, like saving his kidnapped nephew Lot. But otherwise he secludes himself from the barbarity of the world, intent instead on building monotheism. Isaac can represent pacifism, submitting as he does to his father's plan to sacrifice him on Mount Moriah with no objection. But Jacob, after whom we are all called "Israelites," represents a willingness to engage and fight evil and stop it from growing stronger. He was prepared to engage in controversial tactics to prevent his brother Esau from achieving dominance from a blessing he had not earned and did not deserve. He was prepared to fight for what was rightly his against his deceitful father-in-law Laban who repeatedly tried to cheat him. And he was named "Israel" because he wrestled with an archangel and defeated him. We all pray for peace. We seek the harmony and tranquility of universal brotherhood. But we are well aware that at times the only way to achieve peace is through a just, defensive war. Shmuley Boteach, "America's Rabbi" whom The Washington Post calls "the most famous Rabbi in America," is the founder of "This World: The Values Network," the world's leading organization promoting universal Jewish values in politics, culture, and the media. The international best-selling author of 30 books, he has recently published "The Fed-up Man of Faith: Challenging God in the Face of Tragedy and Suffering." Follow him on Twitter @RabbiShmuley.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.huffingtonpost.com |
Jennifer Aniston Credits Her Youthful Look to Being Greek
Jennifer Aniston‘s Greek roots have a lot to do with her ability to look like a goddess, at least according to the actress herself. In a recent interview, the 45 year-old opened up about her beauty and eating habits, style and aging. In speaking with ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT hollywood.greekreporter.com |
New NSRF eyes niches of world market
It is hoped that the “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” program, part of the new European Union-subsidized National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) for the 2014-20 period, will make a major contribution to the revamping of the Greek e... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Greek regional authorities assess impact of Russian embargo
Regional authorities in seven Greek prefectures on Tuesday began assessing the impact of a Russian food embargo, chiefly on the export of Greek peaches, ahead of Thursday’s scheduled meeting of European agricultural experts in Brussels, where a broader an... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Ancient Amphipolis due to yield find by end of month
Archaeologists might discover by the end of the month the identity of the person or people buried in an ancient tomb that has been discovered in Amphipolis, near Serres in northern Greece, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras suggested on Tuesday. Samaras visit... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
U.S. Anti-coal Dominoes Hit BRICS Wall, Other Skeptics
By Anna Yukhananov and Valerie VolcoviciWASHINGTON (Reuters) - A year ago, U.S. President Barack Obama sought to mobilize the nation behind a grand plan: fight climate change by slashing carbon pollution at home, while prodding other countries to follow.A key part of that strategy was for the United States to stop using public money to finance the construction of most coal-fired power plants abroad, seen as one of the main causes of rising pollution from heat-trapping gases.But a year later, momentum has stalled on the Obama administration's plan for a global "domino effect" that would choke off financing for coal projects from public lending institutions around the world. Some key lenders continue to finance coal projects, and the Export-Import Bank of the United Stastes has put its ban on hold.In the past year, Japan has approved funding for three major coal plants in energy-thirsty emerging markets. And Germany, typically a leader in global climate action, continues to support coal projects.Observers say a new development bank from the BRICS group of emerging markets - Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - is also unlikely to follow strict coal limits when it launches in two years.If countries move away from coal as a fuel source, they are likely to do so for reasons other than a lack of public funding.In 2012, according to the World Resources Institute, almost 1,200 coal-fired power plants had been proposed globally, with China and Pakistan accounting for the majority of the projects.COMMERCIAL INTERESTS RULEU.S. officials say their plan to limit public support for coal has had a global impact, with the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and the Nordic countries joining the effort over the past year.Now, the United States is trying to persuade other countries to change their export credit policies "to help level the playing field for U.S. coal-related energy exporters and bring other countries' financing practices in line with their climate change policies," Treasury spokeswoman Holly Shulman told Reuters.U.S. officials have floated proposals at multilateral forums such as the G20 but have been rebuffed by Japan and Germany. U.S. Treasury officials have also discussed with China the role that public funds can play in developing less carbon-intensive energy sources.Scott Morris, a former Treasury official for development finance, said the rapid change the United States has hoped for was never realistic."It's harder to be pure, whether on climate or any other issue, in the face of domestic commercial interest," said Morris, now a senior associate with the Washington, D.C., think tank Center for Global Development.Even within the United States, some lawmakers, especially from coal-producing states, want to end coal project restrictions at the Export-Import Bank.The bank has suspended its internal ban on coal plant financing until September and is mulling funding for a massive coal mine in Jharkhand, India.Japan's development bank, JBIC, is the world's biggest public investor in coal projects and is likely to help India if the United States and European countries pass.From 2007 to 2013, Japan invested $19.7 billion in coal projects overseas, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group.The 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident prompted Japan's government to rely more on coal technology to boost exports and the economy, said Kimiko Hirata, international director for the Kiko Network, a climate-focused non-governmental organization.Germany, meanwhile, is expected to publish a review of its stance on funding coal plants in October. A spokesman for the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development declined to provide more details.From 2006 to 2013, KfW, Germany's state development bank, lent $3.7 billion to coal projects in Greece, India, Serbia, South Africa and Australia.KfW said its support for coal is dwarfed by its investments in environmental protection, but added that it continues to support coal to give energy access to countries that cannot move away from fossil fuels immediately.The World Bank and many developing countries agree, contending that there are not enough economically feasible alternatives to fossil fuels.The Bank agreed to support new coal projects only in countries with no other options to meet energy needs, but has said a strict no-coal policy is not realistic.For reasons of energy access, the new BRICS development bank is unlikely to have the same limits on coal lending as the World Bank.Although public finance for coal plants will continue, some countries are trying to reduce their dependency amid domestic politics and economic pressures, analysts say.China's total coal production is likely to grow as its economy expands, but Beijing wants to curb the fuel's share of its energy mix to fight air pollution.And in India, coal projects are running into problems with economic viability, said Ashish Fernandes, a campaigner for Greenpeace."This kind of warning signal (on coal), as the actual reality of investing in coal plants today, is just as important as whether the BRICS bank announces new restrictions," said Justin Guay, policy analyst with the Sierra Club.($1 = 0.7491 euro)(Additional reporting by Christoph Steitz in Frankfurt; editing by Ros Krasny and Douglas Royalty)Join the conversation about this story »
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Trader's Round Up –National Bank of Greece (ADR) (NYSE:NBG), Fortegra Financial Corp (NYSE ...
National Bank of Greece (ADR)( NYSE:NBG)together with its subsidiaries, offers diversified financial services primarily in Greece. The company is ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.techsonian.com |
Bad crash reported at Farmington intersection today
newsletter · Greece Post ... Greece United FC takes Home Championship ... Bad crash ... Greece United FC takes Home Championship ... Bad crash ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.greecepost.com |
'Extremely Important' Tomb Excavated in Greece — but Archaeologists Have No Idea Who's Inside ...
AMPHIPOLIS, Greece (AP) — Archaeologists excavating an ancient mound in northern Greece have uncovered what appears to be the entrance to an ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.theblaze.com |
Heat Wave Expected on August 15 in Greece
According to the Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY), a heat wave is expected to hit Greece on August 15, the day marking the Dormition of Virgin Mary, the biggest religious holiday in the country. The temperature increase starting on Tuesday will reach a peak on August 15 with 41°C in many areas. On Sunday, there will be strong winds measuring 7 to 8 on the Beaufort scale. On Wednesday, temperature is expected to reach 38°C in the mainland, 33°C in the Cyclades and 35-36°C in the rest of the country. On Thursday, temperature will rise to 39°C in the mainland, 34°C in the Cyclades and 37°C in other areas. Friday, August 15, will be the hottest day of the summer. Temperature is expected to reach 40°C in the mainland, while in the eastern parts of the country, temperature is expected to reach 41°C. In the weekend, temperature will drop by 10 degrees. There will be strong winds and storms mainly in central and northern Greece. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection recommends Greek citizens to avoid sunbathing, walking, running or any other heavy physical activity. They are advised to prefer light clothing and a diet based on fruits and vegetables. Newborns, infants, elderly and people with chronic diseases should be particularly careful.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Greece Wins 14 Medals at IPC Swimming European Championships
The Greek team competing in the 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, managed to win three silver and eleven bronze medals. The top athletes for Greece were Ioannis Kostakis and Aristides Makrodimitris, winning four medals each, while Antonis Tsapatakis won two silver medals. Giorgos Sfaltos, Christos Tabaxis, Vasilis Tsangaris and Panagiotis Christakis won a bronze medal each in the International Paraolympic Committee’s swimming competition for athletes with disabilities. The 2014 IPC Swimming European Championships was held August 4-10 in Eindhoven. Approximately 400 athletes from nearly 40 countries participated in the competition in order to qualify for the 2015 IPC Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Great Britain.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Equities rise for second day, banks bolstered by Citigroup
Greek equities rallied on Tuesday, bolstered by a Citigroup report on the banks of the eurozone periphery, while stocks elsewhere on the continent were little changed. The Athens Exchange (ATHEX) benchmark closed 2.37 percent higher, at 1,090.60 points. T... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Inspections are not enough, says Tourism Minister
US, Chinese and Canadian funds have expressed interest in tourism investments in Greece, Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni tells Kathimerini in an interview. She further notes that large hotel groups appear keen to establish a presence in the popular Med... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Greek Government to Crack Down on Hate Crimes
A report in the Greek newspaper Ta Nea reveals that Greece’s ruling coalition government plans to take stricter measures against racially-motivated attacks. Those found guilty could face imprisonment for up to three years. The newspaper Kathimerini added that, despite appeals from gay rights groups, the issue of granting homosexual couples greater rights, as heterosexual married […] The post Greek Government to Crack Down on Hate Crimes appeared first on The National Herald.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.thenationalherald.com |
UConn Suspends Three More Greek Orgs
UConn spokeswoman Stephanie Reitz said the action taken Monday against the three Greek organizations are not related to the suspensions earlier ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.courant.com |
UConn Sanctions, Bans Fraternity, Two Sororities From Campus
UConn is sanctioning and banning a fraternity and two sororities from campus due to hazing in the Greek life organizations and student code ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.nbcconnecticut.com |
Greek-alicious Pasta Salad
Place the Greek dressing and mayonnaise into a large salad bowl, and whisk together until smooth and well blended. Add the cooked pasta, and stir ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.tctimes.com |
Archeologists in Greece find large, 'extremely important' tomb from era of Alexander the Great
AMPHIPOLIS, Greece - Archaeologists excavating an ancient mound in northern Greece have uncovered what appears to be the entrance to an important tomb from about the end of the reign of warrior-king Alexander the Great, officials said Tuesday.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.canada.com |
UConn bans 3 more Greek organizations over hazing
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The University of Connecticut has banned three more Greek organizations for hazing, saying students were forced to eat pet food, bob for mini-bottles of alcohol from toilets and be partly or fully nude.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT news.yahoo.com |
After 72 years on air, VOA's Greek Service goes silent
Almost three-quarters of a century after it first began broadcasting, the microphones at the Greek Service of the Voice of America (VOA) went silent for the last time on Tuesday. The final radio program was carried by Skai in Athens, thereby ending 72 yea... ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com |
Arsenal consider Greek centre-back Kostas Manolas to fill void left by departure of Thomas ...
Kostas Manolas has emerged as one of Arsene Wenger's targets to provide his Arsenal squad with more defensive cover. Having seen Thomas ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.telegraph.co.uk |
Ancient Amphipolis Greek Tomb Complex is 'Important Find', Says Greek PM
Greek archaeologists have spent the last two years unearthing a massive burial mound complex at Kasta Hill, in the northern Greek region of Serres, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ibtimes.co.uk |
Academy legacy continues
Lunenburg Academy of Music Performance general manager Susan Corkum-Greek is prepares for a move into the Lunenburg Academy. The national ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.southshorenow.ca |
Men's Basketball: Greek recruit Tsalmpouris “really impressed” with ISU visit
After flying from his home in Greece to Dusseldorf, Germany to Chicago to his future central heartland home, Iowa State men's basketball basketball ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT amestrib.com |
Our Greek Tragedy – Endless Repetition
QUESTION: I have followed you for decades and use adaptions of your theories in my trading. However there seems to be some contradictions in the ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT armstrongeconomics.com |
Arsenal linked with Greece defender
Arsenal are working on a deal to bring Olympiakos defender Kostas Manolas to the Emirates according to reports. The Mirror claim that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has identified the Greece international as the man to replace former club captain Thomas ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.newstalk.ie |
Mussolini’s Villa de Vecchi in Rhodes for Sale
The Hellenic Republic Assets Development Fund (HRADF), responsible for raising money from state property sales to reduce debt, is pitching the abandoned Villa de Vecchi on the Greek island of Rhodes, which had been the holiday home of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. More than half a century later, Greece is offering a 50-year lease on the property. Abandoned since the Dodecanese islands were ceded to Greece in 1947, graffiti is scrawled over the walls and fireplaces of the two-story stone and wooden structure. The villa faces the Elafos and Elaphina Hotel, built in the Alpine style, another example of the fascist dictator’s plans for Rhodes to be an outpost of an Italian empire. Along with the villa, 13 other properties not in use are being offered as prospective small luxury hotels. Three of them are for sale only, while the remaining ten are offered for lease for 50 and 99 years. “There’s been a significant shift in investor sentiment on real estate assets in the past 12 months, both globally and locally,” Andreas Taprantzis, executive director for real estate at the Athens-based fund, said in an interview to Bloomberg news agency. “The only criterion is the highest bid per asset.” With 80,000 properties on its books — from a castle in Corfu and a former U.S. army base in Crete to a historic building in Washington’s Embassy Row — real estate sales of state property are expected to rake in half of the original target of 50 billion euros by end 2015 in order to repay loans Greece has received from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Projections for asset sales now stand at 22.4 billion euros through 2022. The fund has signed 4.9 billion euros in deals so far, receiving 2.9 billion euros of that amount. Real estate deals have brought in a paltry 1.8 billion euros. Meanwhile, Taprantzis counters arguments that Greece is selling its heritage. Properties like the Villa de Vecchi have been “hidden, buried,” he noted. “Now there’s a perfect opportunity to showcase them, not just for Greeks but to foreign visitors,” he said, adding that “No one is going to pick up the building and take it with them. The investment will contribute to the upgrade of our tourism product and will create new jobs.”
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Prosecutor orders the release of two arrested in Mykonos speedboat accident
The prosecutor on the island of Syros, Greece, ordered on Tuesday the release of the water sports business owner and the speedboat driver who were arrested in relation to the fatal injury of a 10-year-old boy on Monday, in the popular Aegean island of Mykonos. The prosecutor ruled that there was no need for the two to be transferred to Syros and asked Mykonos port authorities to continue the preliminary investigation, upon the conclusion of which a trial date will be set. The boy’s body will be taken to the Syros Hospital for an autopsy. The boy, accompanied by his godfather, was riding an inflatable banana boat which was towed by a speedboat in the Kalo Livadi area of Mykonos. He lost his balance and fell into the water but when the speedboat driver turned the boat around to check on him, he was fatally injured by the boat’s propeller. (source: ana-mpa)
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
UPDATE 1-Elia, SGCC, Terna and PSP can bid for Greece's ADMIE-source
(Adds source on three other bidders, ADMIE CEO comment). PARIS Aug 12 (Reuters) - Belgian power grid operator Elia, State Grid Corporation of ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT af.reuters.com |
Mystery over massive Alexander-era tomb unearthed in Greece
Archaeologists have unearthed a funeral mound dating from the time of Alexander the Great and believed to be the largest ever discovered in Greece, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.deccanherald.com |
Prysmian wins $126m deal to connect island to Greek grid
Syros is part of the Cyclades Islands a nd it is intended that once it is connected to the Greek grid, the other island of Paros, Mykonos, and Tinos will ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.pennenergy.com |
Iowa State's Big Greek hits campus for the first time
Iowa State's Big Greek hits campus for the first time. What does recruit Georgios Tsalmpouris, a 7-foot-1 forward-center from Greece, think about Iowa ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.desmoinesregister.com |
Travel world without leaving Houston
Houstonians can be Greek for a day at the Original Greek Festival, celebrating its 47th season. Greek Festival-goers can take tours of the cathedral, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.chron.com |
Manolas to Arsenal rumours re-ignite following Vermaelen departure
As reported by myself as far back as July 6th, Arsenal have put Greek international Kostas Manolas in the frame to replace former club captain, ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.vavel.com |
Greek stopper in Gunners link
Greek stopper in Gunners link. Last Updated: Tue, 12 Aug 2014 15:50. Arsenal. Olympiakos' Greek defender Kostas Manolas has been linked with a ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.eatsleepsport.com |
Elia and IFM shortlisted to bid for Greek power grid operator
PARIS Aug 12 (Reuters) - Belgian grid operator Elia and Australian infrastructure investment fund IFM have been shortlisted to bid for a 66 percent ...
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT af.reuters.com |
The Hideout of Terrorist Maziotis in Athens
Greek Police raided an apartment in Athens they believe was used by an accomplice of terrorist Nikos Maziotis who was arrested last month. The property in Patissia area had been rented by Giorgos Petrakakos, lieutenant of Revolutionary Struggle. The 35-year-old has been wanted by police since they arrested Maziotis, head of the terrorist organization, in mid-July in Monastiraki area of downtown Athens. Police had the apartment under surveillance for several days but decided to force their way in this morning after nobody came in or out of the property. The apartment was believed to be the hideout of Maziotis. The anti-terrorist squad entered the apartment and found DNA believed to belong to the terrorist’s close associates. The apartment was monitored for over a week and police was hoping that Maziotis’ wife and close associate Paula Roupa would make an appearance. Police is looking for Roupa who is also a fugitive from jail. Four photos of Roupa were recently given to the public. The photos are just weeks old, as they were taken by a retail shop surveillance camera during the weekend of 12-13 July, as she was paying for some kids toys and clothing at a shop in the area of Marousi. Another photo showing Roupa with her child at a playground was also available to the police but was not given to the public in order to protect the child. The 45-year old woman had short blond hair and was much thinner than in the past. Roupa had been on the police target long before Maziotis. They were trying to track down her movements for quite some time, in an effort to come closer to the terrorist. On Monday, July 14, an operation of the anti-terrorist squad took place at the ISAP electric railway but was never completed for unknown reasons. It is believed that Roupa or Maziotis were seen on a train that day. Police are confident that Petrakakos, who has been missing for four years, is together with Roupa. “The fact that Petrakakos lives as an outlaw over these years makes us believe that he has connections with offenders who will help both him and Roupa remain in the dark,” said an officer of the Greek Police, adding that “Our first goal is to find their hideout containing weapons and explosives, and the garage with the organization’s cars and motorcycles so that we will be able to disarm the members.” According to information, the anti-terrorist unit is not able to clarify whether the team of Vassilis Paleokostas, with whom Petrakakos has very good relationship, is involved in the coverage and escape of Roupa and seven other members of Revolutionary Struggle.
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| READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT greece.greekreporter.com |
Obama, Carl Bildt and Other Leaders: Oil or Human Lives?
Sunday, a day after the U.S. commenced bombings in Iraq, you, Carl Bildt, Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote an editorial for Expressen, one of Sweden's biggest newspapers. In it you wrote that connections between Sweden and Iraq are "strong," that there is "immediate concern" and that your phone is "constantly busy." Moreover, we were surprisingly informed that Swedish diplomacy is to be credited for the inclusion of ethnic minorities in the modern state of Iraq. However, this time it's not about you, Carl Bildt. Because, Carl, these people are being forced to leave their homes at gunpoint. They are being robbed of everything they have. They are being forced to witness rape, murder and the destruction of their communities and lives, all because they were not born into and did not convert to what their tormentors call Islam. And you have suggested no concrete action to stop Iraq and its most vulnerable citizens from imminent death. For 10 years we have asked for diplomatic help. We have been sending information -- hard numbers and facts -- to the U.S. State Department, and to you as well. No response and no actions have been taken to protect our men, women and children. You have even not bothered to mention the persecution we have been facing. You are Tweeting and blogging on a daily basis about things that you clearly deem to be of greater importance in this world than genocide, and yet you want to give the impression of being a sophisticated international politician. But now that the United States has commenced its air raids, you suddenly feel a "strong concern for the ongoing atrocities." Today, you use the word "genocide" which was also uttered by the U.S. Secretary of State. I suppose we should be grateful? A decade ago you had other concerns. Nonetheless, your views echoed those of the U.S. government. In 2003, you publicly announced your support of the invasion of Iraq in the New York Times. Military action was necessary. And in line with other conservatives and Republican lobbyists, you spoke freely of Iraq's alleged weapons of mass destruction and encouraged other countries to support the invasion. Perhaps you should have read up on regional history: the religious, ethnic and cultural fault lines in the Middle East and the chronic failure to establish a secure, democratic state politics in Iraq for all Iraqis, before making yourself the errand boy of George W. Bush. It is not as easy as simply dropping bombs. When a regime is forcibly removed, measures need to be taken to protect minorities. This matter was wholly ignored by you. Then again: Iraq is a country rich with oil, and your and others personal interest in oil is not unknown. Because what's worse is that this sudden engagement from Obama's side may not be a matter of protecting vulnerable minorities, but not want to risk control of the oil. I hope that it does not apply to you too Carl Bildt. In Iraq, since you decided to side with the war, more than a hundred churches have been desecrated, bombed or destroyed. Religious buildings belonging to the Yazidi and Mandaean communities -- as well as historic shrines belonging to both Sunni and Shi'a Muslims -- have also been destroyed. Our children have been kidnapped and murdered. Women and men have been raped and killed. Our family members have been decapitated in front of video cameras. And this continues. Why? Apparently, because we were born non-Muslims. However, we might as well have been born Swedish. Or even moderate Muslims. We are all the enemies of the jihadists of "ISIL", which is the American expression you've chosen to use. But they are in fact called the Islamic state -- IS -- and they demand the submission of us all. Those who do not eat, dress, talk and think like they want us to shall die under their rule. They do not only pose a threat to the minorities in the region, but to the entire Middle East and the whole world. This murder gang has no desire for negotiation, discussion or even survival. They wish to die for their faith and in the course of that mission to abolish the rest of us, sooner rather than later. As their press officer said in a recent Vice News documentary on the group -- "we live only for war." And that was a press officer. The Islamic State has the funds to carry out their mission: in fact, the more entrenched they become, the more they can extract from the natural wealth of Iraq and Syria, through oil smuggling, looting, and tax. They already derive a lot of their funding from the property and territory they've seized. They possess high caliber weapons and artillery left behind by the retreating Iraqi army. They are recruiting new fighters from all over the world, including Sweden. And their aim is not just to terrorize, but to establish and expand a caliphate -- a territorial and political entity governed proudly by fear, hatred and violence. They already control land the size of Great Britain, and 6 million people live under their rule. You call us a "a Christian minority." But we are not "just" Christians, Carl Bildt. You need to get your facts right. We are the indigenous people of Iraq. We have been living in the region for seven thousand years: we trace our heritage back to the cradle of civilization. The language we speak has its roots in the first languages of the world, and we carry on our tongue the origins of civilization. The fact that our ethnic identity has been taken from us and we are being lumped together under a belief system prevalent in the west is nothing short of a distortion of history. Assyrians/Chaldean/Syriacs in diaspora are taking notes of everything you and anyone else says. We are 120,000 in Sweden alone, you are our Minister of Foreign Affairs, and we do have the right to vote. Next year marks the centenary of the Armenian Genocide, which included Pontiac Greeks, Assyrians/Chaldeans/Syriacs and Yazidis. The aim of the genocide was to eradicate us and any historical trace and knowledge of our existence. This genocide continues to this day. The goal is one and the same: to eradicate us. They want to seize our land and assets, abduct our women, and erase us from the pages of history. If they get their way, no trace of our existence will remain. As we speak, they are converting dozens of historic churches and monasteries to mosques and setting fire to all the manuscripts and objects inside them. And now you, Carl Bildt, knowingly or unknowingly, side with our oppressors by robbing us of who are through your generic denominational language. It makes me want to cry. For the past 10 years we have been asking for help in preventing another full scale genocide. But now you choose to comment on it, although mostly mentioning yourself and your statesmanship favorably without even the courtesy of naming us correctly. Assyrians, Yazidis, Kurds, Turkmen, the Shabaks, and Mandeans from the Middle East and their diasporas contact A Demand for Action every day in sheer despair over the ongoing genocide of their people. Many of them are fleeing from the Nineveh Plains, which is full of oil, and they have been forced to leave everything behind. Families have lost children, some as young as three or four, killed by IS. We all have to act to stop this. You write that it's a matter for the United Nations Security Council, but you also mention the Council's "fragmentation and incapacity." I only wish that you would be more creative, and that you would truly act as a Minister of Foreign Affairs. In this moment of desperation, when the genocide in the Middle East is well underway, I would wish for more than an editorial for Expressen. I would hope for more vigorous action. Iraq has lost its sovereignty to a terrorist group that respects no principle of international or human rights law. They are setting new standards of brutality that could define the entire region for decades unless they are stopped now. The UN is bound to act by its own convention in cases of genocide, which is how the Iraqi parliament and countless journalists and academics have described events in the north. We must rescue Iraq and all of its citizens from the darkness of theocratic fascism. France has acted with the Security Council. Germany is politically active as well. What does Sweden have to show for its actions at the UN headquarters? What can you, personally, say or do within the EU? Have you called Turkey yet? What do you say to your American colleagues? We don't want you to be an apologist for the ongoing atrocities, we want you to actively support a safe haven for minorities in Iraq. Anything less won't be good enough. Now is the time, Carl Bildt, to be a Minister of Foreign Affairs for the oppressed, to be the forceful diplomat that you assume yourself to be. Pick up the phone and call Kerry, Ban Ki Moon and the others you need to contact.
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Hidebound Italian economy presents dilemma for ECB
by Associated Press Italy's troubles weigh on eurozone by DAVID McHUGH, Associated Press - 12 August 2014 11:41-04:00 FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Italy is standing out as the European economy's problem child. Again. Other countries that used to be the bearers of bad news — Spain, Greece, Ireland, Portugal — are slowly healing from the debt crisis that ravaged the currency union for much of the past five years. Italy, by contrast, slid back into recession in the second quarter. And efforts by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to shake up the country's bureaucracy-choked economy have slowed, just six months after he promised to strike swiftly. The troubles in the euro's third-largest economy are weighing on the already weak economic recovery in the 18-country eurozone and complicating life for the European Central Bank. Figures Thursday are expected to show the eurozone barely grew the second quarter. The expectation in the markets is that it grew by a quarterly rate of 0.1 percent — around 0.4 percent on an annualized basis. Italy isn't solely responsible. Germany and France, Europe's top two economies, are expected to post flat performances, partly because of the impact of the crisis in Ukraine. But Italy has been consistently posting poor numbers for years. In the second quarter, Italian output fell 0.2 percent, the 11th drop in the last 12 quarters. Growth has averaged less than a half percent a year for the past decade, compared to 1 ¼ percent across the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries, which also includes the U.S., Japan, Canada, Britain, France and Germany. Meanwhile things are modestly looking up for those countries that nearly went bankrupt. The rebound is most notable in Spain, which grew 0.6 percent in the second quarter. Greece is also expected to emerge from its six-year recession sometime this year and unemployment is falling in Portugal. Italy's performance drew a scolding from ECB head Mario Draghi, a former civil servant at the Italian Treasury and Bank of Italy head. Draghi said private businesses were not investing because they did not see the government tackling the country's problems. "The lack of structural reforms produces a very powerful factor that discourages investment," Draghi said last Thursday after the bank kept its main interest rate at a record low of 0.15 percent. "There are stories of investors who would like to create, to build plants and equipment and create jobs, but it takes them months to get an authorization to do so," he said. "There are stories of young people who tried to open their business, and it takes eight to nine months before they can do so." Renzi has conceded that his government needs to do more but defends his decision to first focus on reforming Italy's unwieldy electoral system that has made change difficult. Now Renzi says he will roll out economic reform — over the next 1,000 days. "Italy urgently needs reforms, announcements are not enough," Mizuho chief European economist Riccardo Barbieri said as he cut his growth forecast for Italy for this year from zero to minus 0.2 percent. "Italy cannot wait 1,000 days." What's particularly worrisome about Italy is that the country has a solid industrial sector and many strong companies, from Fiat to Prada. The problems are with government. Specific structural, or long-term, issues include: High taxes, red tape and bureaucratic delays, corruption, and rigid rules on hiring and firing people. One glaring issue that scares off investors is the inability to enforce a contract in Italy's slow-moving court system. It takes an average of 1,185 days to resolve a contract dispute, twice the average time for other rich countries. Italy ranks 65th on the World Bank's ease of doing business index, behind Belarus, Botswana and Bulgaria. Its debt level at year end was a high 132.6 percent of annual economic output — second only to Greece in the eurozone — and is expected to rise this year. Italy is a problem for the ECB as it weighs whether to use large-scale asset purchases to pump new money into the economy and spur growth. The U.S., Britain and Japan have all done that. For the ECB, one argument against asset purchases is that printing money could effectively bail out countries that won't take steps to reform their own economies. As Draghi put it, Italy's lack of investment "has nothing to do with monetary policy." Draghi's exasperated tone may reflect the ECB's recent experience with his home country. In August, 2011, it appeared that Italy might default on its mountain of debt, a shock that could have destroyed the euro. The ECB made limited purchases of government debt to try to drive down borrowing costs. But then-Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi didn't carry through with reforms. He was eventually replaced by temporary technocrat Mario Monti, who put government finances in better shape with tax increases and spending restraint. Default is off the table, for now. But the deeper reforms remained undone. As Draghi put it: "I keep saying the same things, really." News Topics: Business, General news, Economic growth, Economic outlook, Economy, Government and politics, Recessions and depressions People, Places and Companies: Matteo Renzi, Mario Draghi, Silvio Berlusconi, Mario Monti, Italy, Europe, United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Western Europe Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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Here's The Contrarian Career Advice I Discovered By Practicing Ancient Religions For 6 Months
This post is written by Dale Davidson of The Ancient Wisdom Project and originally appeared on Cal Newport's blog, Study Hacks. During college, all I wanted to do was become a Navy SEAL. I won an NROTC scholarship, got accepted into training, and was ready to start my career as an operator. Unfortunately, once I got to training, I realized I didn't want to become a SEAL, and I quit. Not knowing what to do with my life, I looked to bloggers for help. I discovered Tim Ferriss, and decided that what I needed to do was build a passive-income web business and travel the world. So I did. I started a (unsuccessful) web business, took off to Egypt to teach and travel, and tried to create the life I thought would make me happy. The thing is, I wasn't happy. None of the standard blogger advice worked for me. I felt like I would never have a meaningful career or professional life, that there was something fundamentally wrong with me. So a few months ago, I changed strategies. I started to look outside the blogosphere for help. I began studying and practicing ancient religion and philosophy to figure out how to live a meaningful life. Over time, I added some structure to this project and began to blog about it: calling the whole endeavor the Ancient Wisdom Project. The reason I chose to study ancient sources of wisdom is because they have survived centuries, and in some cases, millennia, of cultural evolution. They must have done so for a reason – they work. It would be a shame to ignore these philosophies and religions and not extract the hard-earned lessons of billions of people over thousands of years, especially if I can apply those lessons to my life today. The Rules of the Project When planning this project, I realized that learning everything about each religion would be impossible. Scholars can spend their entire careers specializing in a single aspect of a religion or philosophy. I want to improve my life now, not in 30 years. With the goal of self-improvement and not scholarly expertise, I ultimately settled on the following rules to structure my efforts: Every month I identify one positive trait or quality I'd like to cultivate in myself (tranquility, compassion, etc.). I then choose an ancient religion or philosophy that I believe will help me develop that particular trait. These philosophies or religions must be sufficiently ancient (at least 500 years or so) and must still exist in some form today. After I match the religion with the trait, I select one practice from the religion to adopt for a 30-day period that I feel will be particularly useful. Ideally it's a practice that I can perform on a near daily basis. Then I do the practice for a one-month period and study the ancient philosophy or religion in order to maximize the effectiveness of the practice. Finally, I write about the experience on my website. For example, the first trait I wanted to cultivate was tranquility. After a bit of research, I decided that Stoicism would be perfect for helping me develop this trait. I then decided to adopt one physical practice and one mental practice. For the physical practice, I decided to take daily ice baths, (to expose myself to physical hardship), and for the mental practice, I chose negative visualization, the act of imagining all the ways your life could be worse. Over that 30-day period of ice baths and negative visualization, I learned the importance of managing my perceptions of external events and observed noticeable improvement in my daily anxiety level. Over the past six months, I've explored several sources of ancient wisdom. In addition to Stoicism, I completed 30-day experiments in Catholicism, Judaism, and Islam. In this article, I want to identify several unexpected pieces of advice from these experiences. I will focus, in particular, on advice relevant to your career, as this is an area that can have a dramatic impact on your wellbeing (for better or worse). These ideas are not what lifestyle designers will tell you to do, and they aren't always as easy to follow as what you might find in the standard listicle. But they're based on insights that formed over thousands of years of cultural evolution, and therefore represent some of humankind's best thinking on these issues. I hope you find this advice as useful as I have… Contrarian Career Advice from Ancient Sources Tip 1: Don't pursue promotions. Promotions are a wonderful tool for companies to motivate their employees. They'll say that if you work hard, you can get a raise and a fancy new title. For many employees, this is a worthwhile pursuit. There is nothing like external validation and more money to make you feel good about yourself. But there are two problems with approaching your career this way: First, promotions are not within your control. There are a few reasons for this. There are a limited number of positions and titles in any given company. You are restricted by the inherent supply of positions that are available to you. In addition, someone else will ultimately decide whether you receive a promotion. It might be your boss, it might be a committee, but it's not you. You can't waive a magic wand and give yourself a promotion. Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy, teaches that you should only desire things within your control. Otherwise, you are doomed to be unhappy. And what is within your control? Here's what Epictetus, a slave turned Stoic sage has to say [Note: All cited passages in this section are from Epictetus]: Some things are in our control and others not. Things in our control are opinion, pursuit, desire, aversion, and, in a word, whatever are our own actions. Things not in our control are body, property, reputation, command, and, in one word, whatever are not our own actions. Promotions don't fall into the list of things you can control; therefore, you shouldn't desire promotions. If you receive one, you'll soon get used to the new title and larger salary and begin desiring the next promotion. If you are passed over for one, you will be unhappy. The second major reason you shouldn't seek promotions is that it is likely you will have to compromise something you value in order to attain one. Are you a creative type in a conservative company? Well, it's unlikely that you'll get a promotion without hiding your creativity to some extent. Do you like to work on your own but your company emphasizes teamwork? If you stop showing up to meetings, people will question your dedication to the mission. The pursuit of a promotion will come at a price, and it will sometimes be a price you shouldn't pay. Is anyone preferred before you at an entertainment, or in a compliment, or in being admitted to a consultation? If these things are good, you ought to be glad that he has gotten them; and if they are evil, don't be grieved that you have not gotten them. And remember that you cannot, without using the same means [which others do] to acquire things not in our own control, expect to be thought worthy of an equal share of them. For how can he who does not frequent the door of any [great] man, does not attend him, does not praise him, have an equal share with him who does? You are unjust, then, and insatiable, if you are unwilling to pay the price for which these things are sold, and would have them for nothing. Cal Newport, author of the popular blog Study Hacks, says that you should become so good they can't ignore you. I agree that you should become "so good," as that is in your sphere of control, but I say you should be indifferent to whether or not others ignore you. The Stoics would say instead: "Become so good and stop worrying if others ignore you." If you happen to win praise and recognition for your good work, great! Just don't let it get to your head. If you do good work and no one cares, be indifferent. But, for your part, don't wish to be a general, or a senator, or a consul, but to be free; and the only way to this is a contempt of things not in our own control. Tip 2: Cultivate humility. If you've ever taken part in a workplace gripe session with your friends, you know that the conversation usually includes complaints about "idiot coworkers" or "clueless management." The universality of these comments would make you believe that all employees and bosses everywhere are clueless or evil idiots whose only purpose is to make your work life miserable. We know this to be false, so what explains this phenomenon? When you say your coworker or boss is an idiot, the hidden assumption is that you are better than them as human beings. You are not conducting a dispassionate analysis of their behavior and coolly explaining how they can do things better; you're just being arrogant. This arrogance is making you miserable. The word Islam, means "submission [to God's will]." Implied in this definition is that you are not the center of the universe, that you shouldn't follow your own desires — you should follow God's desires. Focusing less on yourself is a key component to humility. Islam reinforces humility by requiring Muslims to pray five times a day (the practice of Salat), which includes a physical act of prostration. Islam didn't just teach people to practice humility towards God; they also taught that it was important to be humble in the way you relate to others. Rumi, a famous Sufi poet, once said, "The fault is in the one who blames. Spirit sees nothing to criticize." Criticism of your coworkers is not really about them; it's about you and your own issues. In my own experience, I found that by practicing humility, I became happier at work, or at least, less frustrated. If a coworker did something I thought was dumb, I would ask myself, "Am I capable of making similarly stupid mistakes?" Yes, I am. When I thought senior management was making a stupid strategic decision, I asked myself, "Do I know how to run a company better than they do?" No, I don't. Cultivating a humble attitude towards others at your work will yield better emotional and psychological results than venting at happy hour with your friends. Tip 3: Ditch work-life balance in favor of sacred rest. Work-life balance is a hot topic at the moment. We live in an age of distraction and fluid boundaries between work and the rest of our life. We answer work emails at home, personal emails at work. "Leisure" doesn't even seem that relaxing. I'm guilty of binging on Netflix for hours and hours on the weekend. When I'm done, I feel sluggish and unhappy. I'm not working, but I'm not quite resting either. Modern advice that advocates work-life balance doesn't go far enough. Even the term "work-life balance" doesn't convey the importance of what we need to truly flourish as human beings. What we need is something like Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest. Shabbat begins on Friday night and ends on Saturday night. If strictly observed, you are not allowed to cook, write, or really do anything that would be considered work. You are also prohibited from using electronic devices, as that would be considered "igniting a fire" (due to electrical sparks in the circuitry of the device). Does this seem outdated? Overly strict? I don't think so. To truly rest, you need to commit yourself to activities that are meaningful and rejuvenating, and ruthlessly cut out those that aren't. When you can't use your iPhone, buy anything, or even drive, you will naturally do activities that are inherently meaningful. You will spend time with your family, go out for long walks, have fun conversations over long meals (with food you prepared before Shabbat), etc. It reminds you that you have a life outside of work, that humans aren't "beasts of burden," that our purpose here on Earth goes beyond your career or job. Consider these words from Abraham Joshua Heschel, a famous Jewish theologian: The Sabbath is a day for the sake of life. Man is not a beast of burden, and the Sabbath is not for the purpose of enhancing the efficiency of his work. "Last in creation, first in intention," the Sabbath is "the end of the creation of heaven and earth." The Sabbath is not for the sake of the weekdays; the weekdays are for the sake of the Sabbath. It is not an interlude but the climax of living. Instead of complaining that your work is taking over your life, make some portion outside of your life sacred, so you can truly feel rejuvenated. Cal says that to achieve a remarkable career, we need to learn the art of deep focus at work. Judaism would say to achieve a remarkable life, we need to learn the art of deep focus at rest as well. Tip 4: Pay close attention to your feelings. I've been a slave to my emotions about my work. During particularly boring work assignments, I've fantasized about quitting my job to start a passive income business and traveling the world. In moments of anger, I've wanted to yell at my boss, make a dramatic speech to my coworkers, and storm out of the office. I found that most lifestyle design bloggers play upon these (normal) feelings and use it to promote bad advice that will lead you to make bad decisions. If your job is boring, they will tell you to quit for an exciting life as an entrepreneur. They will tell you to find your passion or travel the world regardless of what your individual circumstances are. Your feelings are important, but you need to learn how to correctly assess your feelings in order to make good decisions. For this, you should follow the Jesuit (a Catholic order) process called the "Discernment of Spirits." Father Kevin O'Brien, a Jesuit priest, writes: In discernment of spirits, we notice the interior movements of our hearts, which include our thoughts, feelings, desires, attractions, and resistances. We determine where they are coming from and where they are leading us; and then we propose to act in a way that leads to greater faith, hope, and love. We pay attention to feelings of consolation, "an experience of being so on fire with God's love that we feel impelled to praise, love, and serve God and help others as best as we can," and desolation, "an experience of the soul in heavy darkness or turmoil." There are a number of rules to follow when practicing discernment that are unexpectedly sophisticated for a practice that is 500 years old. For example, take the Third Rule: With cause, as well the good Angel as the bad can console the soul, for contrary ends: the good Angel for the profit of the soul, that it may grow and rise from good to better, and the evil Angel, for the contrary, and later on to draw it to his damnable intention and wickedness. What this says is that just because something you're doing feels bad or painful, it doesn't mean the activity itself is bad. Say you're on a particularly stressful project at work. You feel exhausted and frustrated, and you think you should quit your job. A lifestyle design blogger would say, "Of course you should quit! A job you love would never feel stressful or difficult." A Jesuit, on the other hand, would ask you if maybe these feelings are temporary, and that if the project is a good one, maybe it's worth completing. It asks you to consider that maybe the "bad angel" is trying to trick you into abandoning a worthwhile effort. You may protest that you don't believe in angels or God or spirits, but that's not the point. The point is that the Jesuits had an advanced process for paying attention to your feelings that will help you make good decisions and avoid bad ones. The process is careful, methodical, and more importantly, tested over centuries of human experience. I've used discernment when assessing whether or not I should stay at my job. My job generally leaves me with feelings of desolation. It may seem obvious that I need to quit, right? Wrong. Using discernment, I discovered what I needed was to do something meaningful and that it didn't have to come from my job. So what did I do? I started volunteering at a homeless-services organization. I spend a few hours every month serving meals to the homeless. This has provided an immense boost to my happiness. Do I still have negative feelings about my job? Of course, but I found a way to make it tolerable, which gives me time to assess what I really want to do for my career. If a 500-year old Jesuit practice can help me, an agnostic, it can certainly help you, too. Conclusion: The ancients were wise; you should listen to them. None of this advice is as easy or as sexy as the standard, "quit your job, follow your passion" advice that Cal Newport has quite smartly pointed out is nonsense. It's not that lifestyle design bloggers are purposely trying to lead you astray; I believe they are really trying to help people have meaningful lives and careers. However, their greatest weakness is that their advice is not time-tested. Careers are fairly new inventions, and we're all trying to figure out how they fit with our lives. So the fact that there is lots of bad advice out there is not surprising. The ancients did not attempt to provide career advice per se (though some did), but they did teach people how to live good and meaningful lives in a world that is often cruel and indifferent to our desires. This same advice which has helped billions of people over thousands of years is still relevant to our modern lives and, can help us navigate even modern artifacts, like our careers. To live a good and meaningful life, you're better off following the example of philosophers like Epictetus, Catholic heroes like Saint Ignatius, or Islamic prophets like Mohammed than you are of following advice from the latest lifestyle design blogger. But what do I know? I'm just a 26-year old blogger.SEE ALSO: Here's How Marcus Aurelius Got Himself Out Of Bed Every Morning Join the conversation about this story »
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Greece sells 1.3 billion euros of three-month T-bills
Greece sold 1.3 billion euros of three-month treasury bills on Tuesday to roll over a maturing issue, the country’s debt agency PDMA said. The T-bills were priced to yield 1.75 percent, unchanged from a previous sale in July but still the lowest funding c... ...
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