Ellopiapress_86

Published in New York City by EMG (Ellopia Media Group April 2014 - Issue 86

BEHIND THE NEWS - NEW YORK CITY - WWW.ELLOPIATV.COM

Happy Easter

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MONTHLY MAGAZINE PUBLISHED BY ELLOPIA MEDIA GROUP Ltd. Via Emai 15.000 copies Free of charge Publisher Editor in Chief USA Athina Krikeli Creative Art Director Hellas Costas Krikelis Advertising Director Lia Delkotzaki Senior Editor (English) Titos Christodoulou, (England) Music Editors Nikos Tatasopouls Tassos Papaioannou Petros Hatjopoulos Photo Director Fotis Papadakis Business Consultant Maria Papapetros Fashion Consultant Nikos Eftaxias Contributors S. Papathemelis (Greece), Arkas (Greece) G. Kalaras, (Chicago) Titos Christodoulou, (England) Writers G. Skabardonis (Greece) Costas Krikelis (Greece) Greg Michaelides (USA) Anita Diamantopoulou (USA) Kostas Mpliatkas (Hellas) Publishing coordinator HELLAS Lia Delkotzaki Gianni Sotiriou All opinions expressed in the articles are their authors’ own.

Ellopia Media Group Ltd. USA KAUFMAN ASTORIA STUDIOS 34-12 36th str NY 11106 Tel: (718) 720 4522 ellopia@aol.com www.ellopiatv.com Facebook: ellopia You Tube/ellopia

the world

‘We are America, we own the finish line,’ Biden says at Boston bombing memorial

By Josh Levs, CNN April 16, 2014 -- Updated 0615 GMT (1415 HKT)

A moment of silence at the finish line, the tolling of church bells and a solemn flag-raising ceremony capped the first anniversary of the Boston Marathon bombing on Tuesday.

Under a steady rain on Boylston Street, where two homemade bombs last April 15 marked the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since 9/11, scores gathered in the personification of a slogan that captured the country: “Boston Strong.”

After a stirring rendition of “God Bless America,” ordinary people, bombing survivors, first responders and dignitaries -- including Vice President Joe Biden -- bowed their heads in a moment of silence, saw the American flag raised, and sang the national anthem shortly before 3 p.m. on the spot where explosions, carnage, screams and smoke interrupted one of the city’s most joyous and popular events one year ago.

Earlier, thousands gathered to mark the anniversary of a horror that shook the nation. “We would never wish the devastation and pain we have experienced on any of you,” said Patrick Downes, who was among the many injured in the twin bombings at last year’s Boston Marathon. “However, we do wish that all of you,

at some point in your lives, feel as loved as we have felt this last year. It has been the most humbling experience of our lives. We hope you feel all the emotion we feel when we say ‘thank you.’”

Downes was a newlywed at the time of the attack. He and his wife, Jessica Kensky, each lost a leg.

Before the crowd gathered Tuesday at the Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center, he spoke of the three people killed in the blasts and a university police officer killed days later amid efforts to catch the suspects. He called them “guardian angels.”

“Let’s show them they live on in our bonds of family, friendship and community and in the infectious spirit we will feel on the

the world

On April 15, 2013, the Patriots’ Day bombings killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and wounded at least 264 others. The city then underwent days of fear as the two identified suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers, were on the run. Police say they killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in the process, and then Tamerlan Tsarnaev was run over by his younger brother, Dzhokhar, as they battled police.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 counts and is scheduled to go on trial in November.

“America will never, ever, ever stand down. We are Boston. We are America. We respond, we endure, we overcome and we own the finish line.”‘Boston strong’ third Monday in April for years to come.” That’s the date of the marathon.

After a string of speakers, Biden began his remarks by saying:

“I’ve never witnessed a tribute like I heard today.” To the survivors, he said, “My God, you have survived and you have soared. You are truly inspiring. I’ve never heard anything so beautiful as what all of you just said. So much has been taken from you, but you never, never have given up,” he said.

“You have become the face of America’s resolve for the whole world to see,” Biden said, adding that people all around the world know the pride, courage, and resolve of Bostonians. “That’s why the twisted, cowardly terrorists who acted here and in other places do what they do. They try to instill fear so that we will jettison what we value the most and what the world most values about us: an open society, our system of justice, our freedom of religion; our access to opportunity, the free flow of information and ideas.”

The terrorists, Biden said, “wanted to make America afraid so that maybe, maybe, we’d begin to change our ways. That’s the objective -- the very soul of who we are.

They figured if they instill enough fear, we will change.

And it infuriates them that we refuse to bend, refuse to change, refuse to yield to fear. “You are Boston strong.

But America is strong. ... That’s what makes us so proud of this city and this state. What makes me so proud to be an American is that we have never, ever yielded to fear.

Never.”At the marathon, “the whole world witnessed or-

dinary citizens doing extraordinary things” to help each other, the vice president said.

“America will never, ever, ever stand down,” he said. “We are Boston. We are America. We respond, we endure, we overcome and we own the finish line.”

‘Boston strong’ “Next week, we will run again,” said Tom Grilk, executive director of the Boston Athletic Association. “But on this day, in this place, in remembrance and resolve, we gather as citizens of Boston, Boston strong.”

One year ago, “the very fabric of this community was tested to its core,” he said, but the city “inspired.”

“You are strong at this broken place,” former Mayor Tom Menino told the crowd, adding, “the heartbeat of Boston is a mighty force.”

To those who lost loved ones and to the many who were wounded, Menino said, “whatever you have to do to recover and carry on, know that the people of Boston and I will be right there by your side.” Menino was mayor at the time of the attack.

On April 15, 2013, the Patriots’ Day bombings killed three people, including an 8-year-old boy, and wounded at least 264 others. The city then underwent days of fear as the two identified suspects, the Tsarnaev brothers, were on the run. Police say they killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer in the process, and then Tamerlan Tsarnaev was run over by his younger brother, Dzhokhar, as they battled police. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has pleaded not guilty to 30 counts and is scheduled to go on trial in November.

the world

“Democracy Now” LIFE AND TIMES Sy Hersh Reveals Potential Turkish Role in Syria Chemical Strike That Almost Sparked U.S. Bombing

That is the question raised in a new exposé by Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist Seymour Hersh on the intelligence debate over the deaths of hundreds of Syrians in Ghouta last year. The United States, and much of the international community, blamed forces loyal to the Assad government, almost leading to a U.S. attack on Syria. But Hersh reveals the U.S. intelligence community feared Turkey was supplying sarin gas to Syrian rebels in the months before the attack took place — information never made public as President Obama made the case for launching a strike. Hersh joins us to discuss his findings.

TRANSCRIPT This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: As Syria continues to remove its chemical weapons arsenal under the monitoring of the United Nations, a new article by the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh questions what happened last year in the Syrian city of Ghouta, when hundreds of Syrians died in a chemical weapons attack. The United States and much of the international community blamed forces loyal

to the Assad government, and the incident almost led the U.S. to attack Syria. But according to Hersh, while President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry were making the case for U.S. strikes, analysts inside the U.S. military and intelligence community were privately questioning the administration’s central claim about who was behind the chemical weapons attack.

the world According to Hersh, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency issued a highly classified five-page "talking points" briefing on June 19th which stated the Syrian rebel group al-Nusra maintained a sarin production cell. According to the DIA, it was, quote, "the most advanced sarin plot since al-Qaida’s pre-9/11 effort."

The DIA document went on to state, quote, "Turkey and Saudi-based chemical facilitators were attempting to obtain sarin precursors in bulk, tens of kilograms, likely for the anticipated large scale production effort in Syria." A month before the DIA briefing was written, more than ten members of al-Nusra were arrested in southern Turkey with what local police told the press were two kilograms of sarin.

Investigative journalist Seymour Hersh now joins us from Washington, D.C. His latest piece is headlined "The Red Line and the Rat Line." It was just published in the London Review of Books.

Sy Hersh, welcome back to Democracy Now! Lay out what you have found.

SEYMOUR HERSH: Well, you just laid out part of it. I think the most important thing about the document is that—as you know, I was on this show, and the London Review did a piece that I wrote, months ago, questioning just the whole issue of "Whose Sarin?"—was the title. It wasn’t clear. This doesn’t mean we know exactly what happened in eastern Ghouta. What we do know—I’m talking about the military, the Pentagon and the analysts—is that the sarin that was recovered wasn’t the kind of sarin that exists in the Syrian arsenal. It just raises a grave question about one of the basic elements of the president’s argument for planning to go to war. The real point of the Shedd document, and the reason I wrote so much about it, is because when I did that piece months ago, the White House said they know of no such document, and there’s no—they have no information about sarin being in the hands of alNusra or other radical groups or jihadist groups inside Syria.

Here’s what’s scary about it. What’s scary about it is the military community—I know that the Southern Command, etc., were very worried about this possibility. The war is going

“Democracy Now” LIFE AND TIMES

“Democracy Now” LIFE AND TIMES badly for some of these jihadist groups.

They obviously—more than al-Nusra, other groups obviously have the capacity now to manufacture sarin, with the help of Turkey, and the fear is that as the war goes bad, some of this sarin—you can call it a strategic weapon, perhaps; when used right, it can kill an awful lot of people very quickly—is going to be shipped to their various units outside of Syria. In other words, they’re going to farm out the chemicals they have, who knows where—northern Africa, the Middle East, other places—and then you have a different situation that we are confronting in terms of the war on terror. That’s the reality.

Meanwhile, the White House’s position, again, with this article, once again, even though we—this document they claim no longer existed, we ran a big chunk of it. Clearly, I have access to it. They are still insisting, "We know of no such document." This head-in-the-sand approach really has to do with something I write about in the article. I quote people as saying, once the president makes a decision, it’s almost impossible to change—to get it changed. The president decided that the Syrians did it, and we’re justified in thinking that and continuing to think that, no other option exists. And so, he’s predicated a foreign policy which is a head-in-the-sand policy, because, meanwhile, we have a serious problem with these kind of weapons, particularly as Syria gets rid of the weapons. The only people inside Syria with those weapons are the wackos. And so, there we are.

AMY GOODMAN: What is the rat line?

SEYMOUR HERSH: The rat line is an informal designation of a—the CIA is—there’s a lot of very competent people in the CIA. I give it a hard time, but you’ve got to acknowledge a very—a lot of very bright people still work there, and they know what they’re doing. During the Iranian war, when— during when Cheney and Bush were deeply involved in trying to find out whether there was a secret underground nuclear facility inside Iran—they absolutely believed it—we would send in Joint Special Operation Command teams undercover from Pakistan, from wherever, through routes that the CIA had known for smuggling and moving cash. They would use those rat lines to go in.

And the rat line in this case is, very early in 2012, when this—I don’t know why, but maybe because of the hubris over what—the victory we thought we had in Libya ousting Gaddafi, which is a mess of its own, we set up a covert, a very secret operation inside Libya to funnel arms through Turkey into the Syrian opposition, including all sides—those who

were secular, those who had legitimate grievances against the Assad government, and the other groups sponsored by the Saudis and Qataris, who are really trying to create a Wahhabi or Salafist government in Syria, take it over. And this was a very secret operation. It went for a long time. It only ended when the consulate in Benghazi was overrun. And it was done without—as I write, without telling Congress. And the reason we even know about it, there was a recent Senate Intelligence Committee report on Benghazi that was published a few months back raising questions about security, etc., the same issues Republicans constantly talk about, but there was a secret annex to the report that described this process of funneling stuff. And it was done with money, actually, from the Turks, from the Saudis and the Qataris. We sort of used their money, and we funneled—to use it to buy weapons and funnel it. The CIA was deeply involved in this.

In effect, you could almost say that, in his own way, Obama— you can call it shrewd or brilliant. He was almost channeling Saudi Arabia and Qatari and the Turks to get something done we wanted done, which was to have the opposition defeat Bashar al-Assad. And that’s what it was. It was a longrunning operation. It only ended—and, by the way, when it ended with the—when we shut it down after Benghazi was overrun, we suddenly saw all kinds of crazy weapons be showing up, including MANPADS, the shoulder-held antiaircraft missiles. We showed—they were suddenly showing up inside—inside Syria in the hands of various jihadist groups. So, clearly, the rat line we set up after we shut it down had a life of its own, which is often that happens in these kind of operations.

AMY GOODMAN: After the Syria talks concluded earlier this year, Secretary of State John Kerry renewed his backing of the departure of Bashar al-Assad and said the United States is prepared to increase support for the rebel opposition.

SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY: No one has done more to make Syria a magnet for terrorists than Bashar al-Assad. He is the single greatest magnet for terrorism that there is in the region.

And he has long since, because of his choice of weapons, because of what he has done, lost any legitimacy. ... I will just say to you that lots of different avenues will be pursued, including continued support to the opposition and augmented support to the opposition.

hellas - world

Στα πρόσωπα των Ρομά, ο κόσμος όλος Γράφει ο Στέφανος Καστρινάκης

Είναι Έλληνες πολίτες, οικογενειάρχες και δεινοί έμποροι. Όπου και αν τους συναντήσουμε θα γυρίσουμε να τους παρατηρήσουμε. Είτε λόγω της δραστηριότητάς τους, είτε λόγω του πολύχρωμου τις περισσότερες φορές ντυσίματός τους, γίνονται διαρκώς αφορμή για συζητήσεις και σχολιασμό. Με αυτά στο κεφάλι πήγαμε να τους συναντήσουμε στο κυριακάτικο παζάρι τους. Και εκεί αντικρίσαμε μια οργανωμένη μικρή κοινωνία, με όλα τα σύγχρονα χαρακτηριστικά της.

Είναι Έλληνες πολίτες, οικογενειάρχες και δεινοί έμποροι. Όπου και αν τους συναντήσουμε θα γυρίσουμε να τους παρατηρήσουμε. Είτε λόγω της δραστηριότητάς τους, είτε λόγω του πολύχρωμου τις περισσότερες φορές ντυσίματός τους, γίνονται διαρκώς αφορμή για συζητήσεις και σχολιασμό. Με αυτά στο κεφάλι πήγαμε να τους συναντήσουμε στο κυριακάτικο παζάρι τους. Και εκεί αντικρίσαμε μια οργανωμένη μικρή κοινωνία, με όλα τα σύγχρονα χαρακτηριστικά της. Οργάνωση-εκπροσώπηση, συμμετοχή-εθελοντισμό, εμπορικό πνεύμα και επαγγελματισμό, σε όλες τους τις ενέργειες. Και όλα αυτά, υπό το άγρυπνο μάτι του Εθνικού Συμβουλίου Ελλήνων Ρομά και του ιστορικού στελέχους του Ευθύμη Δημητρίου. Τα προβλήματά τους πολλά, οι υποσχέσεις των πολιτικών διαρκείς, χωρίς όμως μέχρι σήμερα

η κοινότητα αυτή να έχει βρει την κατανόηση και την υποστήριξη που χρειάζεται από την πολιτεία. Πέραν των προβλημάτων και του άγχους για την επίλυσή τους, υπάρχουν οι άνθρωποι. Αυτοί που ως μορφές εντυπώθηκαν στο μυαλό μας από την πρώτη στιγμή της επαφής μας μαζί τους. Λέμε ότι τις κοινωνίες τις διαμορφώνουμε εμείς. Δεν γνωρίζω όμως σε τι κοινωνίες θέλει ο καθένας από μας να ζει, ποιους να αποκλείει και με ποιους να μοιράζεται το χρόνο και τον πλούτο του. Το μόνο σίγουρο είναι ότι όλοι θέλουμε μια κοινωνία με πολίτες με ίσα δικαιώματα άλλα και υποχρεώσεις. Οι Ρομά ζουν κατά κανόνα στο περιθώριο του κοινωνικού ιστού και στο περιθώριο του κοινωνικού καταμερισμού εργασίας και ειδικά στην νέα γενιά Ρομά έχουμε άλυτα προβλήματα, όπως μου έλεγε ο πρόεδρος Ελλήνων Ρομά Εύθυμης

Στα πρόσωπα των Ρομά, ο κόσμος όλος

Δημήτριου. Βρεθήκαμε στο μεγαλύτερο παζάρι της Αθήνας, στην Ιερά οδό, 132, την περασμένη Κυριακή, κι αυτό που μου έκανε εντύπωση είναι η οργάνωση και η ασφάλεια που ένιωθες. Ο Ευθύμης Δημητρίου μου είπε μεταξύ άλλων: Συχνά, μας ακολουθούν αρνητικά στερεότυπα. Τουλάχιστον, οι αρνητικοί συνειρμοί εναντίον των Ρομά συντηρούνται εν μέρει κυρίως από την εμφάνισή τους, τον τρόπο ζωής τους και από την εξώθηση του πληθυσμού των Ρομά στην εγκληματικότητα. Είναι, όμως, το μεγαλύτερο λάθος να το πιστεύουμε και να το συντηρούμε. Έχουμε μια ιστορία πολλών αιώνων, αυτό θέλουμε να σταματήσει

και η πολιτεία να αναλάβει της υποχρέωσεις της, θέλουμε για τους νέους εκπαίδευση και επαγγελματική αποκατάσταση. Συχνά είμαστε θύματα ρατσιστικών σχολίων, θέλουμε να σταματήσει η περιθωριοποίηση δεν θέλουμε να γινόμαστε γκέτο. Είμαι ανοικτός σε όλους να το συζητήσω και κυρίως με την πολιτεία έχουμε πολλά θέματα άλυτα εδώ και πολλά χρόνια». Η σημαντικότερη γιορτή των Ρομά είναι η γιορτή της άνοιξης (Εντερλέζι) και γιορτάζεται από 23 Απρίλη μέχρι 1 Μάη σε όλη την Ευρώπη. Γιορτή είναι και τα πρόσωπα .

Theresa & Thomas Henkelmann, Proprietors 420 Field Point Road Greenwich, CT 06830 USA Phone: 203.869.7500 Fax: 203.869.7502

Brave and bold, warm and hip... salutes the past embracing the new...luxurious...

ΚΑΛΗ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΣΗ ΚΑΛΟ ΠΑΣΧΑ

HELLENIC - TALKS

Η ζωή εν τάφω στον Παναμα Της Αθηνάς Κρικέλη

Ας είναι αυτο το Πάσχα το τελευταίο για τον Σταύρο Ατίκ και Πέτρο Κατσικαδάκο, στις φυλακές του Παναμά. Τα παιδιά ανεβαίνουν τον δικό τους γολγοθά που όμως δεν τελειώνει το Μ. Σάββατο. Τέσσερα χρόνια στα βρωμερά κάγκελα των σκοτεινών φυλακών. Πληρώνουν μια λάθος απόφαση αλλά και την εγκληματική αδιαφορία του συστήματος.

Πάλι δάκρυα στα μάτια των δικών τους που ακόμα μια ελπίδα για Πάσχα στην πατρίδα γίνεται όνειρο θερινής νυκτός. Τα Χριστούγεννα ίσως.... ή το άλλο Πάσχα... ή ...

Η χειρότερη φυλακή δεν είναι τα σίδερα, είναι την ελπίδα μου που την πήραν και την τσαλαπάτησαν μέσα στα βρωμονερα... Κάθε μέρα για μένα είναι ενας αιώνας που περνά τόσο αργά... η Ελλάδα έχει τους δικούς της χρόνους, το ίδιο και ο Παναμάς, το ίδιο και οι άνθρωποι που ασχολούνται μαζί μας, μόνο που ο χρόνος τους δεν συμβαδίζει με τον δικό μου... εδώ λές και βάλθηκε να μας ξεκάνει το περίμενε... σαν να σταμάτησε για να μας τιμωρήσει ακόμα πιο πολύ...”

Και εκεί σε διαφορετικές φυλακές καθημερινά σηκώνουν τον δικό τους σταυρό. Η σωφρονιστική παιδεία δεν ισχύει στα μπουντρούμια. Και μην ξεγελιέστε πως αυτό συμβαίνει μόνο στον Παναμά. Μαύρη αγορά, ναρκωτικά, όπλα, χατζάρες, συμμορίες, χρήση ναρκωτικών με το ζόρι, αυτά είναι χαρακτηριστικά κάθε φυλακή. Οσο καλή διάθεση και να έχει η διοίκηση των φυλακών, όταν σχολάει και πάει Λόγια βαρια που φτάνουν κουρασμένα σπίτι, διοικούν άλλοι πιο ισχυροί...εκεί και απελπισμένα από την άλλη άκρη η ζωή του καθενός ιδιαίτερα του ξένου του τηλεφώνου, παλεύει να αλλάξει δεν έχει καμμία σημασία.. το είναι και το αύριο του, να φτιάξει την ζωή του αγκαλιά με τα λάθη για να “Δεν έχω άλλα βιβλία να διαβάσω μου τον κάνουν καλύτερο άνθρωπο όπως λέει ο Σταύρος, “κάποτε κοιτούσα λέει χαρακτηριστικά. Ενα λιοντάρι στο κενό και ένοιωθα ελεύθερος κλεισμένο σε μια κουρτίνα αναμονής ακόμα και μέσα από τα κάγκελα τώρα που τον σκοτώνει αργά και συστηματικά.

σκοτεινιάζει κάθε μέρα πιο πολύ.

HELLENIC - TALKS

Δεν τον φοβίζουν τα μαχαίρια και οι απειλές, δεν τον φοβίζει το σκοτάδι της φυλακής, δεν τον φοβίζει η ποινή έφταιξα και πληρώνω λέει χαρακτηριστικά, με φοβίζει το τίποτα, οι κολακίες αυτών που με πλησιάζουν μόνο όταν νοιώθουν πως φτάνουμε στο τέλος και γυρνάμε. Την τύχη μου την έχουν στα χέρια άλλοι, μου λέει με θυμό και πολλές φορές με ξεχνούν... αυτό πονάει πιο πολύ” Με τον Πέτρο δεν έχουμε επικοινωνία πιά έχει μεταφερθεί σε ακόμα πιο δύσκολες φυλακές, πιο βαθειά στον λάκο... Τα Υπουργεία Εξωτερικών και Δικαιοσύνης αυτή τη φορά λειτουργησαν πέραν του δέοντος, υπάλληλοι και αρμόδιοι έβγαλαν για λίγο το κουστούμι το δημοσιουπαλληλικό και φόρεσαν το ανθρώπινο, έτρεξαν το θέμα όσο μπορεί να τρέξει κάτι στην Ελλάδα αυτόν τον καιρό ο Υπουργός Δικαιοσύνης υπέγραψε για επιστροφή τους . Η υπόθεση βρίσκεται στην ΙΝΤΕΡΠΟΛ για την μεταφορά τους στις ελληνικές φυλακές. Εμείς παρακολουθούμε με κομμένη την ανάσα την διαδικασία! Δεν θα αντέξουν άλλη αναμονή άλλη καθυστέρηση άλλη γραφειοκρατία. Εχουμε πάει στις φυλακές του Παναμά τέσσερεις φορές, και σας λέμε με βεβαιότητα πως ΔΕΝ ΘΑ ΑΝΤΕΞΟΥΝ αλλο περίμενε...

των κυβερνήσεων που προστατεύουν τους πραγματικούς ένοχους, που βγάζουν την μανία της ανικανότητάς τους να τους σταματήσουν, πάνω στα βαποράκια και τους μικρούς την τελευταία τρύπα του ζουρνά που λένε και οι παλιοί. Ακόμα και όταν γυρίσουν ο Σταύρος και ο Πέτρος, το διαβολικό ταξίδι δεν σταματά. Αυτοί που τους έστειλαν... στον αγύριστο, είναι ελεύθεροι ισχυροί και ταίζουν τους ισχυρους με χρυσά κουτάλια, οι έμποροι θανάτου ανενόχλητοι ψάχνουν για θύματα βαποράκια και νέα παιδιά που θα τα βρούν οι δικοί τους με μια βελόνα καρφωμένη στο χέρι και το βλέμμα καρφωμένο στο απειρο... Εμείς? παπαγαλίζουμε τον θυμό μας πάνω στον χρήστη ή στο βαποράκι, σε αυτόν που προσεγγίζει τα κάγκελα του σχολείου να πουλήσει στους μαθητές ναρκωτικά, στον ζητιάνο στο δρόμο για να κάνει την δόση του, που απλώνει το χέρι και ζητά να τον στείλουμε πιο γρήγορα στον θάνατο...εμείς γυρνούμε απο την άλλη , να μην βλέπουν τα παιδιά μας τέτοια πράγματα... εμείς που αλλάζουμε κουβέντα όταν μας μιλουν για ... “τους αλήτες φυλακισμένους στον Παναμά - γιατί μας χαλά την διάθεση...εμείς οι αλάνθαστοι στεκόμαστε ατάραχα Δυστυχώς βιώμουνε σε μια παγκόσμια κοινωνία μπροστά στον καθρέφτη και δεν βλέπουμε τίποτα λάθος σαπισμένη από τα γενοφάσκια της , ένα σύστημα που δεν στην εικόνα...μέχρι να συμβεί κάτι στο δικό μας το σπίτι.... περιορίζεται μόνο στις γραφειοκρατικές καθυστερήσεις Καλή Ανάσταση και γρήγορη επιστροφή των παιδιών των Υπουργείων αλλά σε όλους αυτούς τους ισχυρούς όλων στην πατρίδα

NEW YORK STORIES

NATIVE ASTORIA BOY TAKES ON THE FILM WORLD ONE ROLE AT A TIME Who is Gerard Cordero is what you would call a “man of many trades” who has managed to bridge the gap between acting and martial arts. A native of Astoria, Queens at twelve years old caught the “acting bug” and his love for entertainment was sealed as he watched his idols like Sylvester Stallone, Patrick Swayze, Eddie Murphy and Tom Cruise act on the big screen. Watching these talented mega stars helped Gerard to develop the courage to start performing before crowds. He would also later marry Greek girl, Roula Skoutelas whose roots hail from the island of Chios. She is one of his biggest supporters.

by Nick Christophers Gerard has studied various martial arts styles for the past twenty years off and on. Shotokan being his first, and then going onto other styles like Goju-Ryu, Taekwondo, American Kick-Boxing, Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu. In addition to studying in all these styles of martial arts, Gerard was also a very well rounded competitive Greco-Roman wrestler as well as a gymnast.

Without knowing, all these fighting styles/techniques only benefited him in the roles that he would fill later on when he took on the acting game. Even though he had no formal acting school training, he did study acting in College and with an acting coach.

He was “baptized” in the industry in 1998 on the TV mini series “Witness to The Mob” that featured heavyweights like Vincent Pastore and Tom Sizemore among many other known actors. This experience had set the tone for Gerard’s future projects to come.

“It was very overwhelming. You throw in talented actors like Tom Sizemore, Vincent Pastore with a list of other known talent, I didn’t know what to expect. All and all the experience was great, I was fortunate enough to mingle amongst the stars and talk with them, which

is rare most of the time for beginners.”

Further down the road, he had the opportunity to work with Coco, who is married to SVU actor Ice-T. Gerard happened to be an actor that was chosen to show Coco the different techniques to use in developing your character and setting during an acting workshop. This only enabled him to have a mini-appearance on her show.

Gerard has worked on TV and film projects through out the years and has found both to be very challenging, all depending on the director. He said in his eyes, he believes each director will always test their actors differently to get the best quality performance.

Gerard was born in California but soon came to Queens, New York where he was raised. He admitted to me that he feels that his surroundings have aided him in the roles he has been offered.

“I’m sure it has contributed somewhat. I think each person’s life experiences are what make’s an actor’s performance as a particular character so believable.”

Gerard has played many different roles, from a concerned father to a ruthless mob boss. Because of his look and martial arts training he has landed roles that tend

New York Stories NATIVE ASTORIA BOY TAKES ON THE FILM WORLD ONE ROLE AT A TIME

to be the “tough guy”. Like many other actors with the same credentials they tend to be type-cast. But Gerard does not think it is necessarily a bad thing, but yet he has managed to play outside of his stereotypical role showing that he has great range and depth as an actor.

From his appearance on Law & Order in 1998 to his role on the TV series “Deadly Sins” in 2014 Gerard has proven to be in demand. Yet Gerard is best known for his work on Dark Shield (2013) and Freeze (2014). Currently, the film “Freeze” is in post-production which is a fan based film on the Dark Knight – Batman and Mr. Freeze. He plays one of Joker’s menacing henchmen who end’s up crossing paths with Batman.

Another two projects in the mix is “The Life” and “Vesuvius” In the series “The Life” he plays Detective Ben Pitre who is motivated to change the landscape of which he patrols day and night. The other project which is a short action SyFy aimed for the festivals in 2015, Gerard takes on the role of futuristic elite soldier, Manny Delano. He managed to ace both of these roles without losing a beat.

One project that can launch Gerard Cordero’s career to the next level is an upcoming TV Series to be out in late 2014, early 2015 that is said to be a blend of “The Sopranos” and “The Wire”. Created by Taheim Bryan “South Side” Original Series is based out of South Jamaica, Queens, which in the 80′s was considered an extremely volatile area. This TV Series offers a host of notable actors like Ice T, Method Man, Treach, Mike Epps, Kymani Marley and much more. Gerard again picks up

an impacting role of a Detective named Jerry Rothman aka ‘Big Bird’ who’s main purpose is to use everyone in his world to accomplish a specific goal, bringing down the bad guys.

An additional career launcher for Gerard is another new TV Series created by Redfield Thomas to be out in late 2014, early 2015 called “Organized Crimes” which evolves around Philadelphia crime families. This time Gerard’s role is one from the other side of tracks as he plays Frank Capone, a ruthless mobster out for revenge.

Besides the projects mentioned for 2014, Gerard is part of a feature film that is in pre-production called “Memoirs of the Streets of NY” created by Joe Gawalis. This film is set around a big bank heist; Gerard plays Sammy Prato, a conflicted individual that is torn between two different worlds.

In addition to all these upcoming projects, he recently completed a short action film called “Nostrae Realitate” which won Best Action Short at the Urban Action Showcase held in New York City at HBO Headquarters. For this film, Gerard won Best Action Actor for his performance and among the celebrity judges was well known martial artists/actors Michael Jai White and Kelly Hu. Gerard Cordero is off and running and not looking back. His talent and ambition is evident with every role he tackles, he is definitely one actor to keep an eye out for. To keep up with this rising star, visit his website at http://www.GerardCordero.com

by Nick Christophers

PICTURE THIS

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Faith

+ΒΑΡΘΟΛΟΜΑΙΟΣ ΕΛΕΩι ΘΕΟΥ ΑΡΧΙΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΣ ΚΩΝΣΤΑΝΤΙΝΟΥΠΟΛΕΩΣ - ΝΕΑΣ ΡΩΜΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΟΙΚΟΥΜΕΝΙΚΟΣ ΠΑΤΡΙΑΡΧΗΣ ΠΑΝΤΙ ΤΩι ΠΛΗΡΩΜΑΤΙ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΧΑΡΙΝ, ΕΙΡΗΝΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΛΕΟΣ ΠΑΡΑ ΤΟΥ ΕΝΔΟΞΩΣ ΑΝΑΣΤΑΝΤΟΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΥ Χριστός Ἀνέστη! «Δεῦτε», ἀδελφοί καί τέκνα ἐν Κυρίῳ, «λάβετε φῶς ἐκ τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου Φωτός» τοῦ Φαναρίου, τοῦ Ἱεροῦ Κέντρου τῶν Ὀρθοδόξων, καί δοξάσωμεν ὅλοι ὁμοῦ καί ἀπό κοινοῦ «Χριστόν τόν Ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν».

Ζοφερά ἦτο ἡ ψυχική κατάστασις τῶν μαθητῶν τοῦ Κυρίου μετά τήν Σταύρωσιν Αὐτοῦ, διότι διά τῆς δι᾿ αὐτῆς θανατώσεως τοῦ Κυρίου διελύθησαν αἱ ἐλπίδες τῶν μαθητῶν Του περί ἐπικρατήσεως Αὐτοῦ καί αὐτῶν ὡς πολιτικῆς ἐξουσίας. Εἶχον ἐκλάβει τήν θριαμβευτικήν εἴσοδον τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς τά Ἱεροσόλυμα, μετά τήν ἀνάστασιν τοῦ Λαζάρου καί τήν θαυματουργικήν τροφοδοσίαν πέντε χιλιάδων ἀνδρῶν, πλέον γυναικῶν καί παιδίων, διά πέντε ἄρτων καί δύο ἰχθύων, ὡς προανάκρουσμα τῆς κατακτήσεως ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν κοσμικῆς ἐξουσίας. Ἡ μήτηρ δύο ἐξ αὐτῶν ὑπέβαλε μάλιστα τό αἴτημα ὅπως οἱ υἱοί αὐτῆς καθήσουν εἷς ἐκ δεξιῶν καί εἷς ἐξ εὐωνύμων τοῦ Κυρίου, ὅταν Οὗτος ἀναλάβῃ τήν ἐξουσίαν. Ὅλα αὐτά διελύθησαν ὡς παιδικαί φαντασίαι λόγῳ τοῦ φοβεροῦ πλήγματος τῆς θανατικῆς ἐκτελέσεως τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.

Τήν πρωίαν, ὅμως, τῆς μιᾶς τῶν Σαββάτων αἱ

Μυροφόροι εὗρον τόν τάφον κενόν καί ἤκουσαν παρά τοῦ Ἀγγέλου ὅτι ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν. Μετ᾿ ὀλίγον δέ εἶδον Αὐτόν εἰς ἀλλοίαν κατάστασιν, μή ἐπιτρέπουσαν εἰς τάς Μυροφόρους νά Τόν ἀγγίξουν. Ἡτοι αύτη ἀπροσδόκητος ἐξέλιξις τῶν πραγμάτων προεκάλεσε τήν ἀπορίαν τῶν περί τόν Ἰησοῦν περί τῆς περαιτέρω ἐξελίξεως τῶν γεγονότων. Ἡ ἀπάντησις δέν ἐδόθη εἰς αὐτούς ἀμέσως. Εἰδοποιήθησαν νά ἀναμένουν μέ ὑπομονήν καί καρτερίαν μέχρις ὅτου ἐνδυθοῦν δύναμιν ἐξ ὕψους. Πειθαρχήσαντες δέ εἰς τήν ἐντολήν, ἀνέμενον μέχρι τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς, ὅτε τό Ἅγιον Πνεῦμα, ἐπελθόν, ἀπεκάλυψεν εἰς αὐτούς, ἐν πληρότητι, τήν νέαν ἀποστολήν των. Αὕτη δέν συνίστατο εἰς τήν ἀπελευθέρωσιν ἑνός ἔθνους ἀπό τῆς ὑποδουλώσεως εἰς ἄλλο ἔθνος, ἀλλά εἰς τήν ἀπελευθέρωσιν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος ὅλης ἀπό τῆς ὑποδουλώσεως εἰς τόν ἄρχοντα τοῦ κακοῦ καί εἰς τό κακόν ἐν γένει. Μία ἄλλη μεγάλη ἀποστολή διαφορετική ἀπό ἐκείνην τήν ὁποίαν ὠνειρεύοντο.

Ἡ ἀσύλληπτος ἐντολή τῆς διαδόσεως τοῦ κηρύγματος τῆς ἀπελευθερώσεως τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἀπό τῆς δουλείας τοῦ θανάτου ἐξέπληξεν αὐτούς, ἀλλ᾿ ἀνελήφθη μετά ζήλου καί ἐκηρύχθη πανταχοῦ καί ἔσωσε καί σώζει πολλούς ἀπό τοῦ θανάτου. Ὑπάρχει ὁ πρωτότοκος τῶν νεκρῶν, ὁ ἀναστημένος Ἰησοῦς, ὁ ὁποῖος προσφέρει εἰς ὅλους τήν δυνατότητα τῆς ἀναστάσεως καί τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, μιᾶς ζωῆς ἡ ὁποία δέν ὑπόκειται πλέον εἰς τήν φθοράν, διότι ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι ὡς οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν οὐρανῷ καί φέρουν σῶμα πνευματικόν ἀντί τοῦ σαρκικοῦ.

Πρόγευσιν αὐτῆς τῆς μακαρίας ἀναστασίμου καταστάσεως βιοῦμεν ἀπό τώρα, ὅταν φέρωμεν τό σάρκινον ἔνδυμά μας εἰς τρόπον ὥστε νά μή γευώμεθα τήν οὐσίαν τοῦ

Faith

θανάτου, δηλαδή τήν ἀπομάκρυνσιν ἀπό τῆς ἀγάπης τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλά νά αἰσθανώμεθα ὅτι μετέβημεν ἀπό τοῦ φυσικοῦ θανάτου τοῦ σαρκίνου σώματος εἰς τήν ἀνωτέραν ζωήν τοῦ πνευματικοῦ τοιούτου διά τῆς μετ᾿ ἀγάπης γνώσεως τοῦ Προσώπου τοῦ Κυρίου, ἡ ὁποία γνῶσις ἰσοδυναμεῖ πρός τήν αἰώνιον ζωήν.

Δέν προσδοκῶμεν, λοιπόν, ἁπλῶς τήν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν ὡς ἕν γεγονός τοῦ ἀπωτάτου μέλλοντος ἀλλά μετέχομεν αὐτῆς ἀπό τοῦδε, ὥστε νά κραυγάζωμεν ἐνθουσιωδῶς μετά τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου Χρυσοστόμου: «Ποῦ σοῦ, θάνατε, τό κέντρον; ποῦ σοῦ, Ἅδη, τό νῖκος;». Συνανέστημεν μετά τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ καί ζῶμεν τά ἔσχατα ὡς παρόντα καί τά παρόντα ὡς ἔσχατα. Ἡ ἀνάστασις διαποτίζει τήν ὕπαρξιν ἡμῶν καί πληροῖ χαρᾶς αὐτήν. Ὡς ἐπλήσθη χαρᾶς τό στόμα τῶν μαθητῶν ἐν τῷ λέγειν ἀνέστη ὁ Κύριος.

Συνεχίζομεν τό ἔργον τῶν Ἀποστόλων. Μεταδίδομεν εἰς τόν κόσμον τό μήνυμα τῆς ἀναστάσεως. Κηρύσσομεν ἐν ἐπιγνώσει, ὅτι ὁ θάνατος δέν πρέπει νά ἔχῃ θέσιν εἰς τήν ζωήν μας, οὐδεμίαν ὠφέλειαν προσφέρει εἰς τήν ἀνθρωπότητα. Οἱ ἐπιδιώκοντες νά βελτιώσουν τήν κοινωνικήν ζωήν διά τοῦ θανάτου συνανθρώπων τινῶν αὐτῶν, δέν προσφέρουν ἀγαθήν ὑπηρεσίαν εἰς τούς ἐπιζῶντας. Ὑπηρετοῦν τήν ἐπέκτασιν τοῦ θανάτου καί προετοιμάζουν τήν ὑπ᾿ αὐτοῦ καταβρόχθισιν ἑαυτῶν.

Εἰς τάς ἡμέρας μας τά τύμπανα τοῦ θανάτου καί τοῦ σκότους ἠχοῦν μανιωδῶς. Μερικοί συνάνθρωποί μας πιστεύουν ὅτι ἡ ἐξόντωσις ἄλλων συνανθρώπων μας εἶναι πρᾶξις ἐπαινετή καί ὠφέλιμος, ἀλλά πλανῶνται οἰκτρῶς. Δυστυχῶς, ἡ ἐξουδένωσις καί καταπίεσις τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων

ὑπό τῶν ἰσχυροτέρων ἐπικρατεῖ εἰς τήν κοσμικήν πυραμίδα τοῦ γίγνεσθαι. Συχνάκις ἐκπλήσσει ἡ σκληρότης καί ἔλλειψις εὐσπλαγχνίας τῶν κρατούντων τά ἡνία τοῦ κόσμου καί τῶν νομιζόντων ἐξουσιάζειν αὐτοῦ.

Ὁ Χριστός, ὅμως, διά τοῦ σταυρικοῦ θανάτου Αὐτοῦ ἀντέστρεψε τήν κοσμικήν πυραμίδα καί εἰς τήν κορυφήν αὐτῆς ἐτοποθέτησε τόν ΣταυρόνΤου. Εἰς τήν κορυφήν εὑρίσκεται ὁ Ἴδιος, ἐπειδή Αὐτός ἔπαθε πλεῖον πάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Δέν ὑπῆρξεν ἄνθρωπος εἰς τόν κόσμον ὁ ὁποῖος ὑπέφερεν ὅσα ὑπέφερεν ὁ Θεάνθρωπος Χριστός: «Σχήματι εὑρεθείς ὡς ἄνθρωπος ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτόν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δέ σταυροῦ». Διά τοῦτο ὁ Θεός Πατήρ «ἐχαρίσατο Αὐτῷ ὄνομα τό ὑπέρ πᾶν ὄνομα, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ πᾶν γόνυ κάμψῃ ἐπουρανίων καί ἐπιγείων καί καταχθονίων» (Φιλιπ. β΄ 8-11).

Συχνάκις εἰς τήν ἱστορίαν τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος βλέπομεν νά κυριαρχῇ τό σκότος τοῦ θανάτου, τό ἄδικον ἀντί τῆς δικαιοσύνης, τό μῖσος καί ὁ φθόνος ἀντί τῆς ἀγάπης, καί τούς ἀνθρώπους νά προτιμοῦν τό καταχθόνιον μῖσος ἀντί τοῦ φωτός τῆς Ἀναστάσεως.

Παρά τήν φαινομενικήν τεχνολογικήν πρόοδον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων κοινωνιῶν,παρά τάς διακηρύξεις περί τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων δικαιωμάτων καί τῶν θρησκευτικῶν ἐλευθεριῶν, τό ἐθνοφυλετικόν καί θρησκευτικόν μῖσος διογκοῦνται παγκοσμίως καί προκαλοῦν ἐπικινδύνους ἐντάσεις, αἱ ὁποῖαι ἐπιτείνουν τήν κυριαρχίαν τοῦ βασιλείου τοῦ θανάτου, τοῦ Ἅδου, τῶν καταχθονίων.

Ἡ ἀνάστασις καί ἡ ζωή εἶναι δῶρον καί φῶς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τό ὁποῖον «φαίνει πᾶσιν».

Ὁποῖος ἀνέλαβεν εἰς Ἑαυτόν τάς ἀσθενείας καί τά παθήματα ἑκάστου ἀνθρώπου, παρέχει εἰς τόν κόσμον διά τῆς Ἀναστάσεώς Του καί τήν βεβαιότητα ὅτι «νενίκηται ὁ θάνατος».

Οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἀτυχῶς δέν ἠμποροῦν νά ἀνεχθοῦν τήν διαφορετικότητα εἰς τόν συνάνθρωπόν των. Δέν ἠμποροῦν νά δεχθοῦν τήν διαφορετικήν φυλετικήν καταγωγήν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τάς διαφορετικάς ἀντιλήψεις καί πεποιθήσεις του, πολιτικάς, θρησκευτικάς, κοινωνικάς.

Ἡ ἱστορία, ὅμως, ἔχει ἀποδείξει ὅτι ἀληθινή πρόοδος δέν δύναται νά ὑπάρξῃ χωρίς Θεόν. Οὐδεμία κοινωνία δύναται νά εἶναι ἀληθῶς προοδευτική καί εὐδαίμων, ἐάν δέν ὑπάρχῃ ἐλευθερία. Ἀλλά ἡ ἀληθινή ἐλευθερία ἀποκτᾶται μόνον μέ τήν παραμονήν πλησίον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ εἰκοστοῦ αἰῶνος ἐπιβεβαιοῖ τραγικῶς αὐτήν τήν ἀλήθειαν. Ἡ ἀνθρωπότης ἐγνώρισε τήν ἐκ τῆς Κεντρικῆς Εὐρώπης πηγάσασαν φρίκην μέ τά ἑκατομμύρια θυμάτων τοῦ Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου καί τῶν ρατσιστικῶν διωγμῶν. Ταὐτοχρόνως ὅμως ἔζησε καί τήν φρίκην τῶν δυνάμεων ἐκείνων, αἱ ὁποῖαι, ὀνομάζουσαι ἑαυτάς προοδευτικάς, διέπραξαν ἐν ὀνόματι τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἀναλόγου μεγέθους καί σκληρότητος ἐγκλήματα εἰς τήν Ἀνατολικήν Εὐρώπην.

Ἡ ἀνάστασις καί ἡ ζωή εἶναι δῶρον καί φῶς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, τό ὁποῖον «φαίνει πᾶσιν». Ἄς τιμήσωμεν ὅλοι τό δῶρον. Ἄς εὐχαριστήσωμεν οἱ πάντες τόν Δωρητήν, τόν «ὡς ἐν ἐσόπτρῳ διά σαρκός λάμψαντα τῷ κόσμῳ καί τό φῶς τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῖς ἔθνεσι δείξαντα». Δεῦτε, λοιπόν, λάβωμεν φῶς ἐκ τοῦ ἀνεσπέρου Φωτός τῆς Ζωῆς. Δεῦτε, ἀποδεχθῶμεν καί ὑποδεχθῶμεν τήν δωρεάν τῆς ἀναστάσεως καί ἀναφωνήσωμεν ἐκ καρδίας μεγαλοφώνως:

Οὕτω, λοιπόν, ὁ ὁλοκληρωτισμός δέν γνωρίζει πολιτικάς παρατάξεις, ὡς ἀπότοκος ἑνός ἀνθρωπισμοῦ ἄνευ Χριστοῦ, μέ φυσικήν ἀπόληξιν τόν ὄλεθρον καί τόν θάνατον. Πάντα ταῦτα βεβαιοῦν ὅτι πᾶσα προσπάθεια διά ἀληθινήν ἐλευθερίαν ἄνευ Θεοῦ εἶναι καταδικασμένη εἰς τραγῳδίαν.

Φανάριον, Ἅγιον Πάσχα , βιδ΄ † Ὁ Κωνσταντινουπόλεως διάπυρος πρός Χριστόν Ἀναστάντα εὐχέτης πάντων ὑμῶν

Χριστός Ἀνέστη ἐκ νεκρῶν, θανάτῳ θάνατον πατήσας καί τοῖς ἐν τοῖς μνήμασι ζωήν χαρισάμενος! Χαίρετε λαοί καί ἀγαλλιᾶσθε!

Εἰς τήν κυριαρχίαν αὐτήν τῶν δυνάμεων τοῦ σκότους, ἡ Ἐκκλησία ἀπαντᾷ μέ τήν χάριν καί τήν δύναμιν τοῦ Ἀναστάντος Χριστοῦ. Αὐτός,ὁ

Ἀναγνωσθήτω ἐπ᾿ ἐκκλησίας κατά τήν Θείαν Λειτουργίαν τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ Ἁγίου Πάσχα, μετά τό Ἱερόν Εὐαγγέλιον.

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Here’s How NASA Thinks Society Will Collapse Too much inequality and too few natural resources could leave the West vulnerable to a Roman Empire-style fall.

By Alex Brown Few think Western civilization is on the brink of collapseĺ‚­ut it's also doubtful the Romans and Mesopotamians saw their own demise coming either.

If we're to avoid their fate, we'll need policies to reduce economic inequality and preserve natural resources, according to a NASA-funded study that looked at the collapses of previous societies.

"Two important features seem to appear across societies that have collapsed," reads the study. "The stretching of resources due to the strain placed on the ecological carrying capacity and the economic stratification of society into Elites and Masses."

In unequal societies, researchers said, "collapse is difficult to avoid.... Elites grow and consume too much, resulting in a famine among Commoners that eventually causes the collapse of society."

As limited resources plague the working class, the wealthy, insulated from the problem, "continue consuming unequally" and exacerbate the issue, the study said.

Meanwhile, resources continue to be used up, even by the technologies designed to preserve them. For instance, "an increase in vehicle fuel efficiency technology tends to enable increased per capita vehicle miles

driven, heavier cars, and higher average speeds, which then negate the gains from the increased fuel-efficiency," the study said.

The researchers used what they termed a Human And Nature DYnamical (HANDY) formula to reach their conclusions. The formula uses factors such as birth rates, resources, and income classes to create a mathematical equation to project outcomes.

The study was sponsored by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center and headed by the National Science Foundation's Safa Motesharrei.

For those who think modern society is immune from the problems that brought down ancient civilizations, a "brief overview of collapses demonstrates not only the ubiquity of the phenomenon, but also the extent to which advanced, complex and powerful societies are susceptible to collapse," the study said.

So how do we save ourselves? "Collapse can be avoided, and population can reach a steady state at the maximum carrying capacity, if the rate of depletion of nature is reduced to a sustainable level, and if resources are distributed equitably," reads the report.

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Ένας Θρύλος της Άγια Σοφιάς Ένας Θρύλος της Άγια Σοφιάς Ο Ιουστινιανός, ο μέγας αυτοκράτορας του ενθόξου Βυζαντίου, θέλησε να κτίζει μιά μεγάλη εκκλησιά,να περνά στην ομορφιά,του Σολωμόντα το ναό στην Ιερουσαλήμ. Κάλεσε στο παλάτι του, αρχιτέκτονες καλούς, απ’ το βασίλειό του, και τους είπε να του κάνουν σχέδια πολλά, κι’αυτός θα’ ποφασίσει, πιό θά’να το καλλίτερο γιά την μεγάλη εκκλησιά. Κι’άρχισαν οι αρχικέκτονες σχέδια πολλά να κάνουν. Κανένα όμως σχέδιο,δεν εντυπωσίασε τον Ιουστινιανό. Μιά μέρα ο αυτοκράτορας, που’ταν στην εκκλησία σαν έπερνε το αντίδωρο, από το σεβάσμιο χέρι του Πατριάρχη, του έπεσε ένα ψίχουλο κι’έσκηψε να το πάρει. Μα πρίν φτάσει το χέρι του, στο κομματάκι τ’ άρτου, μιά μέλισσα τον πρόλαβε, άρπαξε το ψίχουλο και πέταξε μακριά του. Λυπήθηκε ο βασιλειάς, που του πήρε η μέλισσα το

ευλογημένο αντίδωρο, και έδωσε διάταγμα, σ’ όλους τους μελισσοτρόφους να ψάξουν στις κυψέλες τους, να βρούν τον άγιο άρτο. Ένας μελισσοκόμος, καθώς, πολύ προσεκτικά άνοιξε την κυψέλη, είδε το θείο ψίχουλο σε μιά μικρή κηρήθρα φτιαγμένη, ώς εκ θαύματος, σαν μιά μικρή εκκλησία. Πήρε ο μελισσοτρόφος την κηρήθρα με χαρά, έτρεξε στο παλάτι, και τ’όδωσε στο βασιλειά. Όταν ο Ιουστινιανός, είδε στην κηρήθρα το ψίχουλο που ζήταγε μέσα σε σχέδιο εκκλησιάς, χάρηκε αφάνταστα, και ένοιωσε πως ήταν πρόνοια θεϊκή. Κάλεσε τον πιό άξιο απ’ όλους αρχιτέκτονα, και τούδωσε το σχέδιο μ’αυτή την εντολή: Έτσι θέλω να χτιστεί, η μεγάλη εκκλησία γιά να εκφραστεί το θείο μεγαλείο και η Σοφία του Θεού. Αμφιτρίτη Κωνσταντέλου-Εμμανουήλ

world politics

A New ‘Cool War’ With Russia Is About to Begin Washington and Moscow have already crossed a point of no return: Get ready for retaliatory moves across the globe.

But the administration specifically avoided targeting the Russian leader himself. “We have the ability to rev up our pressure,” said a senior administration official, “or to deescalate. “ U.S. officials said they hoped a peaceful diplomatic resolution was still possible. Even so, they said a newly revealed Russian proposal to create a federated republic out of Ukraine, giving each region considerable autonomy, was unacceptable because the interim government in Kiev is already deciding itself on the country’s fate, including a new constitution. Obama, after speaking about the situation in the Crimea region of Ukraine. (Saul Loeb/AFP/ Getty Images) “The days are long past when world powers meet and make decisions about the future of democratic countries,” one senior Obama administration official said. Nonetheless, he added, “there is a space here for a diplomatic discussion on these issues.”

Putin is expected to speak to a joint session of the Duma, Russia’s parliament, on Tuesday afternoon, and the Duma may consider formally annexing Crimea by week’s end.

Putin faces a very real crisis of economic and political isolation. This is especially true after a vote in the U.N. Security Council in which 13 countries condemned the Russian moves, and China, which has been Moscow’s longtime fellow traveler on many other issues, abstained in a rebuff to Putin. The European Union also said it would freeze assets of and ban travel for 21 officials in Russia and Ukraine.

“These are by far the most comprehensive sanctions ap-

plied to Russians since the end of the Cold War,” a senior administration said in a telephone call with reporters, stressing that they are far more severe than those applied after Russia intervened in Georgia in 2008.

In the past, nothing has incensed Putin more than what he deems interference in his internal affairs involving the targeting of Russian officials, especially those close to him; and the Russian president is unlikely to retreat any time soon. The gravest danger now remains that, in threatening to annex Crimea, Putin will feel pressured to follow up by sending Russian forces into other parts of eastern Ukraine. The Kremlin knows that without Crimea, ethnic Russians amount to a distinct minority in the rest of the country.

Unless he doubles down with more military pressure, Putin could thus upend his own strategy of co-opting Ukraine into a Eurasian Union, instead making it easier for the rest of the country, dominated by ethnic Ukrainians, to vote to join the European Union and NATO. While the West is not considering military force, U.S. officials are already making “signaling” moves by sending more fighter jets to Poland and Lithuania. Russia’s response, as communicated by a TV announcer over the weekend, was to remind Washington that Russia is “the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. into radioactive dust.”

Judging from his past actions, it should be expected that Putin will, at the very least, retaliate by obstructing U.S. initiatives in other places. Before the crisis, the Russian president was already working hard at deepening ties with

world politics cont from page 33

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China, forming a Eurasian Union to counter European community, and delivering countermoves to Western initiatives in the Middle East.

The Kremlin may well decide it has a larger stake now in supplying the military forces of Putin’s ally, Bashar al-Assad, in Syria’s civil war, and it’s no surprise that the Syrian dictator has responded by launching new military offensives against the rebels. Putin has already made his sympathy for other autocrats in the region known, for example by encouraging Egypt’s junta leader, Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, to run for president.

It would be surprising if Moscow did not also find ways to delay or even stymie the nuclear talks with Iran being conducted by five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, which include Russia, and Germany.

Moscow had already planned to help Tehran build several nuclear reactors. Until now, Russia has also been

more cooperative than not in acceding to the supply of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan; that could quickly change, as well.

The upshot is that the crisis over Ukraine is likely to reorder global relations in a significant way. The U.S.-Russia rivalry that was being vociferously debated as recently as the 2012 presidential election, when President Obama mocked GOP nominee Mitt Romney’s argument that Russia had become America’s “No. 1 geopolitical foe,” is today quickly becoming conventional wisdom in Washington.

A kind of “cool war” between the two countries—one that is not quite yet “cold”—may already be emerging.

While this is clearly nothing yet like the great ideological struggle and arms race of the Cold War, U.S. officials may soon need to consider a new strategy involving the containment of Russian countermoves around the world.

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Dear Friends, Today, at 2:49 p.m., a national moment of silence will mark the one-year anniversary of the bombing at the Boston Marathon. As we remember the attack, our thoughts and prayers are with the families of those who were killed, those who were injured, and the people of Boston who were shaken during that dark day.

In the days after the attack, those in Boston saw firsthand the power of standing together in response to cowardly acts of violence. When the 9/11 Memorial Museum opens next month, it will stand as a constant reminder of our nation's resilience in the face of terror, as embodied so clearly in the aftermath of the Mara-

thon attack.

And at the second annual 9/11 Memorial 5K Run/Walk and Family Day next Sunday, April 27, we will again remember and honor those killed in the Boston bombing. We will show that we are still united and #BostonStrong.

Warm regards, Joe Daniels President & CEO

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