That penguin better know how to waddle fast.
Dec 27, 2006
Dec 22, 2006
Musical intermission for the holidays
I love listening to this Ukrainian folk song, "Carol of the Bells", over and over.
Just discovered this comical Christmas song, "Grandma got run over by a reindeer". I hope no Grandmas are offended, but it's funny and catchy.
Happy Holidays to All and to All A Good Year!
In case you can't listen to the music, visit this site, where you can download these and other holiday music for free.
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Dec 21, 2006
Photo blogging the Christmas spirit in and around my home
Our Christmas tree. Documenting it so the Internet doesn't think of me as a Bah!Humbug sort of gal.
Daughter#2 and those ridiculous reindeer antlers she's attached to.
My two favorite ornaments. Two little angel girls hand-made of dough, that I purchased from a charity bazaar many years ago.
Up close and personal with the Christmas tree.
Lining up home-made cupcakes for Daughter#2's school Christmas bazaar for
Unicef.
3 left over cupcakes we couldn't fit into the trays.
While we were baking our hearts out, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was playing on Greek television. Dabbling with the camera, I caught a scene from the film. Greek subtitle: "It's my chocolate and I'll do as I please with it". Makes for a suitable motto for any chocoholic, like myself.
Photos from my neighborhood
My town's municipal employees (including the trash collectors)
have NOT been paid by our Local Municipal Government for over 3 months and have been on strike for a couple of weeks. I refuse to throw out my trash and take part in this disgusting array of "street art". I recycle most and keep the non-recyclables in large hefty bags on my
veranda until the strike is over. Hey, if it was Christmas and you hadn't been paid you'd see the strikers' viewpoint too, especially since our Municipal officials have scandalously emptied the town treasury. Ironically, there is a faded poster of the mayoral candidate who won the recent local elections in October and will take up his mayoral duties on January 1st, 2007. Welcome to office, mayor!
Seeing the bright side of things: "Sunrise over garbage"
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Dec 16, 2006
Casino Royale
I was never a 007 film fan. Partly because of the cheesy effects, uncanny weaponry assists and the over-played lordly, elegant gentleman spy thing. The whole concept just turned me off.
Astoundingly, I've heard and read a lot of good reviews about the new James Bond film which came out in Greek movie theaters a month ago; although I remember reading -a while back- that most people weren't too enthused about the new bloke that had been cast to play the part of 007. Daughter#2 is an action film buff (I honestly have no idea where she picked up on this) and had been hinting about wanting to see the movie. My curiosity finally got the best of me and we saw it today.
Wow.
THIS James Bond FINALLY fits the picture, completes the missing pieces and comes off as a SUBSTANTIAL character, whereas his predecessors just LOOKED like flimsy movie characters. Daniel Craig (and the new 007 flick crew) does a great job of convincing us he IS James Bond. No gadgetry. No hi-tech arm conceptions. No invisible cars. Just raw muscle, lots of pain, action and... ouch!
As an action film goes, the action is dragged out; Bond is poisoned, whacked (e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e), beaten, shot at, slapped, thrown around, bruised and scratched. There are short intermissions with (thankfully) nippy conversations between him and his leading lady leading up to the scenes of Bond/Bond girl chemistry (with an unprecedented romantic twist).
Oddly, THIS Bond shows us a "human side" the viewers weren't accustomed to seeing with the leading men in former 007 films. The weirdness of this plot is that it's sort of a backward sequel; yet the "young", inexperienced Bond is an improvement compared to his "older, wiser self" in previous movies.
The loner rocker ambiance of Chris Cornell's voice in "You Know My Name" suits this new Bond well.
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Dec 14, 2006
Dyslexic and waiting for Satan
Christmas time in Athens. The shops are calling out to us with their bright lights and fancy window displays, luring us into the 'giving' spirit, whilst a slow thumping of "buy, buy, buy" merrily beats in our ears. Once upon a time, you could seek refuge from the unremitting holiday spirit by heading back home, to quiet, low/middle class suburbia, my neighborhood. But... what's this? What's with ALL the exterior decorations and multi-colored twinkling lights everywhere?
For the past several years, the Greek market has been flooded with -formerly unaccustomed- outdoor Christmas decorations, creating a merchandising illusion that it's expected of us to expand the festive cheer outside our home's threshold.
Sadly, Greek customers have taken the bait and what was once customary for Greek homes to have a frugal main entrance decoration -a sparing wreath or new-year talisman- has now turned into a show of flaunting Christmas lights and gaudy holiday figurines. Look up at the stacked apartment buildings and witness denizens' efforts to bring on the Christmas cheer with bulb-streamers draping the balconies and Santa Clauses hanging for dear life on the verandas.
Personally, I see no need for energy-wasting exterior lights and tawdry ornaments. Why squander natural resources (and money, for that matter) for something that is well,... useless?
I'm old-fashioned (and globally warmed). We've hung the fabric wreath Daughter#1 made in kindergarten for us on the main entrance. I'll let Mother Nature take care of the rest of the outdoor decorations if she decides to snow in our part of the world.
Since it's the holiday season in many parts of the world and a time to reflect about Peace ON Earth, and Peace WITH the Earth, read Greenpeace's 12 steps to a greener holiday season.
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For the past several years, the Greek market has been flooded with -formerly unaccustomed- outdoor Christmas decorations, creating a merchandising illusion that it's expected of us to expand the festive cheer outside our home's threshold.
Sadly, Greek customers have taken the bait and what was once customary for Greek homes to have a frugal main entrance decoration -a sparing wreath or new-year talisman- has now turned into a show of flaunting Christmas lights and gaudy holiday figurines. Look up at the stacked apartment buildings and witness denizens' efforts to bring on the Christmas cheer with bulb-streamers draping the balconies and Santa Clauses hanging for dear life on the verandas.
Personally, I see no need for energy-wasting exterior lights and tawdry ornaments. Why squander natural resources (and money, for that matter) for something that is well,... useless?
I'm old-fashioned (and globally warmed). We've hung the fabric wreath Daughter#1 made in kindergarten for us on the main entrance. I'll let Mother Nature take care of the rest of the outdoor decorations if she decides to snow in our part of the world.
Since it's the holiday season in many parts of the world and a time to reflect about Peace ON Earth, and Peace WITH the Earth, read Greenpeace's 12 steps to a greener holiday season.
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Dec 12, 2006
Dec 11, 2006
Bohemian Christmas Rhapsody
Tis the season to get driven mad by radio airwaves' incessant replays of George Michael's "Last Christmas" and Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas".
Here's a pleasant breather. A Yuletide revamp of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". It's Christmas-y, funny and well-performed. Christmas Rhapsody by Pledge Drive.
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Here's a pleasant breather. A Yuletide revamp of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody". It's Christmas-y, funny and well-performed. Christmas Rhapsody by Pledge Drive.
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Dec 8, 2006
This Christmas we got a new baby nephew!
I am an AUNT at last!
Allow me to introduce you:
Internet, say hello to Baby Neo.
Baby Neo, the Internet!
My new adorable nephew was a present from my sister-in-law (proud pretty Mama in photo) and my only brother. We are deliriously happy and thankful for this tiny bundle of joy and love!
Life is good. Life is even better with babies!
Internet, say hello to Baby Neo.
Baby Neo, the Internet!
My new adorable nephew was a present from my sister-in-law (proud pretty Mama in photo) and my only brother. We are deliriously happy and thankful for this tiny bundle of joy and love!
Life is good. Life is even better with babies!
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Putting old CDs to good use this holiday season
![Putting old CDs to good use this holiday season [1]](http://static.flickr.com/109/316976166_7d0490f5b1_t.jpg)
My colleagues loved the idea of using recycled CDs as a Christmas tree on my office door.
I added some red & green hard candy as "Christmas ornaments" and a plain white paper cutout of a dove for wishes.
Flubberwinkle's Flickr photo fiddling... [try saying that 10 times fast].
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Dec 7, 2006
Dec 4, 2006
One of the side effects of my cough syrup is long-winded blog posts. Brace yourselves.
Grandma's out of the woods and at home. I, on the other hand, managed to catch a nasty bug at the hospital, rendering me useless of interacting with other humans for a week. Fever, runny nose, raspy vocal chords, the works. My head felt as if its insides have been carved out with a spoon. Now, after 5 consecutive days of sickness I am pestered with the irritating cough phase; once triggered my entire body shakes, my lungs ache and I sound like a moose in heat. I've never actually heard a moose in heat... but humor me, I'm sick.
So, what have I been up to, except recovering from The Plague? Well, since I couldn't go in to work and didn't need to actually dress I just padded around the house in my large, plaid, flannel robe and its overstuffed pockets with used tissues doing small, insignificant tasks like cleaning out drawers and cupboards to make myself useful.
And when the excitement of all this got too much I got online and made my eyes redder by reading and downloading stuff.
Here's a couple of serious Internet readings that I found particularly interesting:
I also had plenty of time to catch up on my favorite TV shows and seek out new ones.
Somewhere out there in blogland I read a good write-up about a new tv series 'HEROES'. Downloaded the first 10 episodes and me likes. I have no idea where it's actually leading, a little dark but hopeful, newfangled concept which I like for the time being.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The very first episode with Judd Hirsch's monologue got my full attention. My interest has been wavering as the episodes progress but I enjoy the ambiance of anything 'behind-the-scenes' as well as the camaraderie between leading men Whitford and Perry.
Slowly catching up on HOUSE MD second season. I'm savoring House's spank-me-hard sarcastic quips. Hugh Laurie should have been allowed to keep his British accent for this role, it would have been even better.
Gilmore Girls, season 7. Hello? Where's the fast paced dialogue and snappy comebacks? I hate Lorelai being married to him but NOT to him. I guess she has to come full circle before everything makes sense. (Or at least drag out the seasons). This season, so far, is a bummer.
Hold on there's more. (I can wait until you go to the bathroom).
On my Internet entertainment rampage, I was sucked into a huge banner advertising the 25 year anniversary of soap opera's supercouple from 'General Hospital'. Wow! What a trip down memory lane that was! I had totally forgotten about my high school addiction to GH, rushing home to catch the last 20 minutes of the show.
Before you go rolling your eyes, I have to confess that I respect daytime shows because
a) My mother learned English from watching these shows when we immigrated to the US; her favorites were 'All My Children' and 'General Hospital'.
b) There were a few cool anti-heroes and story lines that were view-worthy; Luke and Laura of General Hospital were one of those.
When I was in high school no one was ever home waiting for me after school, except General Hospital. My parents worked 14 hour shifts, my brother was permitted to participate in all sorts of after-school sporting events, whereas, I, the obedient little Greek geek, had to come directly home. Television played a very big part in keeping me company, whether I actually watched or not.
I was 14 when the Luke and Laura romance took off; fascinated by Anthony Geary's performance and cool demeanor and so envious of Laura's adventures with him. Like many viewers I was hooked on the innovative storyline. I never got to see their actual wedding because by then I had graduated and moved to Europe and, unsurprisingly, forgot all about General Hospital.
As it turned out, this year ABC decided to milk the Luke-Laura love story as much as they could since it's been 25 years since they tied the knot first time around. In five minutes I caught up on 25 years: They're divorced (twice?), she's been in a catatonic comma for 4 years after killing her step-father, he's re-married, they have 2 kids, Laura also had a son with Luke's arch enemy while she had been abducted and kept hostage(!), the show's writers found a miracle drug to bring Laura out of the comma, long enough to have a mock-wedding (unbeknownst to ill Laura) because her last memory was of Luke asking her to re-marry him. Days later, Laura relapsed and went in a comma again. The end? No way!
Geary, who plays Luke, has aged well, is still WAY COOL and [*blush*] I still have a crush on him. I liked his honesty in an interview where he had left GH for eight years and said "I would rather put out my eyes with hot pokers than return to play Luke Spencer again". Well, he went back and 29 years later he's still there. Oddly, I felt like I had found an old lost friend. Isn't it unusual how some characters, whether they're from books, movies or even soap operas, stay lodged in your mind?
Last but not least, I uploaded my blog's new masthead for December 2006. Season's Greetings to all and ho-ho-ho to you!
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So, what have I been up to, except recovering from The Plague? Well, since I couldn't go in to work and didn't need to actually dress I just padded around the house in my large, plaid, flannel robe and its overstuffed pockets with used tissues doing small, insignificant tasks like cleaning out drawers and cupboards to make myself useful.
And when the excitement of all this got too much I got online and made my eyes redder by reading and downloading stuff.
Here's a couple of serious Internet readings that I found particularly interesting:
- For those who refuse to believe that Jews and Arabs can find footings in peace, I found this story by Danny Felsteiner so inspiring.
- This piece of news about a woman (in the US) being sued for putting up a Christmas wreath in the shape of the peace sign on her house made quite an impression also.
I also had plenty of time to catch up on my favorite TV shows and seek out new ones.
Somewhere out there in blogland I read a good write-up about a new tv series 'HEROES'. Downloaded the first 10 episodes and me likes. I have no idea where it's actually leading, a little dark but hopeful, newfangled concept which I like for the time being.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. The very first episode with Judd Hirsch's monologue got my full attention. My interest has been wavering as the episodes progress but I enjoy the ambiance of anything 'behind-the-scenes' as well as the camaraderie between leading men Whitford and Perry.
Slowly catching up on HOUSE MD second season. I'm savoring House's spank-me-hard sarcastic quips. Hugh Laurie should have been allowed to keep his British accent for this role, it would have been even better.
Gilmore Girls, season 7. Hello? Where's the fast paced dialogue and snappy comebacks? I hate Lorelai being married to him but NOT to him. I guess she has to come full circle before everything makes sense. (Or at least drag out the seasons). This season, so far, is a bummer.
Hold on there's more. (I can wait until you go to the bathroom).
On my Internet entertainment rampage, I was sucked into a huge banner advertising the 25 year anniversary of soap opera's supercouple from 'General Hospital'. Wow! What a trip down memory lane that was! I had totally forgotten about my high school addiction to GH, rushing home to catch the last 20 minutes of the show.
Before you go rolling your eyes, I have to confess that I respect daytime shows because
a) My mother learned English from watching these shows when we immigrated to the US; her favorites were 'All My Children' and 'General Hospital'.
b) There were a few cool anti-heroes and story lines that were view-worthy; Luke and Laura of General Hospital were one of those.
When I was in high school no one was ever home waiting for me after school, except General Hospital. My parents worked 14 hour shifts, my brother was permitted to participate in all sorts of after-school sporting events, whereas, I, the obedient little Greek geek, had to come directly home. Television played a very big part in keeping me company, whether I actually watched or not.
I was 14 when the Luke and Laura romance took off; fascinated by Anthony Geary's performance and cool demeanor and so envious of Laura's adventures with him. Like many viewers I was hooked on the innovative storyline. I never got to see their actual wedding because by then I had graduated and moved to Europe and, unsurprisingly, forgot all about General Hospital.
As it turned out, this year ABC decided to milk the Luke-Laura love story as much as they could since it's been 25 years since they tied the knot first time around. In five minutes I caught up on 25 years: They're divorced (twice?), she's been in a catatonic comma for 4 years after killing her step-father, he's re-married, they have 2 kids, Laura also had a son with Luke's arch enemy while she had been abducted and kept hostage(!), the show's writers found a miracle drug to bring Laura out of the comma, long enough to have a mock-wedding (unbeknownst to ill Laura) because her last memory was of Luke asking her to re-marry him. Days later, Laura relapsed and went in a comma again. The end? No way!
Geary, who plays Luke, has aged well, is still WAY COOL and [*blush*] I still have a crush on him. I liked his honesty in an interview where he had left GH for eight years and said "I would rather put out my eyes with hot pokers than return to play Luke Spencer again". Well, he went back and 29 years later he's still there. Oddly, I felt like I had found an old lost friend. Isn't it unusual how some characters, whether they're from books, movies or even soap operas, stay lodged in your mind?
Last but not least, I uploaded my blog's new masthead for December 2006. Season's Greetings to all and ho-ho-ho to you!
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Dec 3, 2006
Christmas aisle experience
Little boy, about 2-3 years old, swinging his legs from the shopping cart seat looks at all the Santa Clauses, snowmen and Rudolphs on the shelves. Suddenly he starts screaming his not-so-tiny voice off at them. No words. Just AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
Kids scares me out of my wits and I give a fright jump. His Mom rushes to him, shushing him. I look desperately at the kid and wonder why his mother isn't asking him where it hurts but instead I notice that his yelling is actually aimed at the shelves. For a moment I'm stumped. And then it dawns on me.
His scream is scanning for the voice/music activated Christmas dolls so they can start swinging and swaying. He knows the power source for his entertainment has to come from him.
OK, kiddo, I give you points on thinking fast, but NOW shut up. The voice activated dolls were one aisle back.
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Kids scares me out of my wits and I give a fright jump. His Mom rushes to him, shushing him. I look desperately at the kid and wonder why his mother isn't asking him where it hurts but instead I notice that his yelling is actually aimed at the shelves. For a moment I'm stumped. And then it dawns on me.
His scream is scanning for the voice/music activated Christmas dolls so they can start swinging and swaying. He knows the power source for his entertainment has to come from him.
OK, kiddo, I give you points on thinking fast, but NOW shut up. The voice activated dolls were one aisle back.
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