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Konya: The city of legacies, spirituality and Rumi
As we returned home from our trip to Uzbekistan last year, we kept aside four days in Istanbul to break the journey. Since we had already travelled to Istanbul previously, we decided to spend some time in Konya, which is the burial place of celebrated scholar and Sufi poet, Maulana Jalaluddin Rumi. Situated in the heart of Turkey, Konya is very well connected to the world by road, high-speed rail, and air. We had made our reservations to reach Konya from Istanbul via Pegasus Airlines, one of the no-frills Turkish airlines where the return fare from Istanbul was $50 per person. The airline operates from ...Read Full Post
I think, pray and speak in English, so why should I speak to my children in Urdu?
My twins are almost three-years-old and they can't speak Urdu, my 'mother tongue'. They hear it being spoken around the house, and occasionally I may try to converse with them in Urdu but truth be told, it doesn't come naturally. As first-time parents, we did get the infamous lecture that we should only speak to our children in Urdu or else they will never be able to speak the language. People would say, "Don't worry, they will learn English at school but you must speak to them in Urdu." The common fear is that our children will drift away from their cultural heritage. Most people believe that language is what will keep our ...Read Full Post
I support the Compulsory Education of Arabic Bill 2015
Recently, a friend asked me if I had seen the movie 'Fifty Shades of Grey'. Being averse to things I have no real interest in, I told him I see it every day. Surprised, he asked me what I meant, to which I replied, "In Pakistan, we are all to some level masochistic. Either that or we are just plain servile. How can we be bombed, killed, raped and beaten into submission every day and just go on with our lives as if nothing is happening?" Pakistan has a history of insurgency and violence, which reached its peak during the 'War ...Read Full Post
Can learning Arabic really prevent terrorist attacks? PML-N surely thinks so
I suppose it is reasonable to assume that the men and women in our National Assembly are mentally fit – people who think and act rationally. We elect them every five years, hoping that they will solve our problems and make us proud of being citizens of Pakistan. But then, one of them says something completely absurd which makes me want to bang my head against the nearest wall and regret not going abroad after I graduated (those were the days when it was very easy to get a US visa). I am referring to a female member of the ...Read Full Post
Dear Adam Saleh, hijacking Muslim sentiments is not funny
From CNN to Al Jazeera, Adam Saleh's video has made headlines across the world. We got kicked out of a @Delta airplane because I spoke Arabic to my mom on the phone and with my friend slim… WTFFFFFFFF please spread pic.twitter.com/P5dQCE0qos — Adam Saleh (@omgAdamSaleh) December 21, 2016 Retweeted over 769,000 times on Twitter, the shocking footage shows him being escorted off a Delta airlines plane where he expresses outrage for getting booted. His crime, he says, was speaking a few lines of Arabic on the phone to his mother, an offense that was too much for his fellow passengers. As expected, many online reacted with disgust. Was just forced to leave ...Read Full Post
Rounding up the usual suspects in Casablanca
Morocco – a country filled with diverse culture, memorable sights, sounds, and a remarkable cuisine. There are so many things that make this country stand out in my eyes. The divine bed and breakfast boutique hotels known as 'riads', the beautiful resorts, and the list goes on. My trip lasted a total of ten days, and started in Casablanca, followed by Marrakech and Fes. "Mystical" is the one word that describes my trip to Morocco the most. As I walked down the streets, I felt everything was alive around me. The atmosphere was thriving, and the energy was inexplicable. Women were ...Read Full Post
If you ever travel on an American airliner, just remember this curly haired economist
Things have been really tough for the Americans since 9/11. All those people in and out of the country speaking so many languages, and if you've never gone beyond your local 7/11, how on earth would you be able to tell this language from 'that' one. You know, the one that all terrorists speak; Arabic! Which explains what happened to Guido Menzio. Menzio took an American Airlines flight from somewhere to somewhere, right? And the intelligent woman next to him caught him writing something and how was she to know what it was? Acting on the principle, that anything that does ...Read Full Post
A Syrian refugee's message to the European Union
When we first got here we had money to buy a little food. Now it's gone. We stand in line for hours for a sandwich. My husband told a journalist recently, "People are fed up. Maybe tomorrow they will break down the gate and flood across the border." The journalist said, "How many weapons do you have?" If we knew how to carry weapons or wanted to carry weapons we would not have fled Syria. We want peace. We are sick of killing. We fled a war, and now the European Union is making war against us, a psychological war. When we hear rumours that we'll be let ...Read Full Post
I am a Jew and he was my Muslim Uber driver
I walk out of my SAT test and turn on my phone. I see that four more Israelis have been stabbed. This has become our sad new normal. I then proceed to order an Uber taxi home. Within a minute, I get a text message saying that my driver, Muhammad is on his way. Muhammad, he must be Muslim, I thought. Maybe as an American Israeli, I should have hesitated, it wouldn't really be unwarranted, would it? Regardless of the driver's religion, I'm a five-foot tall, 17-year-old girl, getting into a taxi alone with a stranger. Instead though, I was optimistic — I'd ...Read Full Post
I decided to find another wife for my husband
"If I had another wife, she'd have the house clean and a fancy dinner ready every time I came home," he said, only half-joking and not for the first time. "Maybe I should just marry another woman. A proper Arab wife." I looked up at him. "Maybe you should." That night, I sent a message to several women I knew, asking them to find a second wife for my husband. And then I lay in bed and imagined what this woman would be like, the woman who would make my husband happy, who would be everything I was not, who would be ...Read Full Post


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Albion, MI
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Al-Bi Winery
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Open: Year Round About Us Al-Bi Winery is a charming place located on Atwood Lake in the heart of Dellroy, Ohio. Al-Bi was established in 2003, and...
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Today marked the release of De La Soul's Smell The Da.I.S.Y. mixtape, effectively a collection of mashups between classic De La songs and beats by J Dilla. Released as a tribute to the late producer, who died in 2006 from a rare blood disease, it joins the ranks of the long list of musical tributes to the man born James Yancey. The fact that so many hip hop greats have chosen to honor him in the years following his untimely death should alert you to his importance to the genre, as should the heaps of praise he still receives from them. Questlove, a close friend of Dilla's, was quoted in an MTV obituary for the producer saying, "If you were to secretly ask the most praised hip-hop producers, if given a top three, who they fear the most, Dilla's name would chart on everyone's list, hands down." Given that Questlove has taught entire college courses on album production, we'll take his word for it. Discover (or brush up on) Dilla's legacy as one of hip hop's most influential producers of all time in this latest edition of Behind The Boards.
Jay Dee Goes from Conant Gardens to Slum Village
Born to a former opera singer and a jazz bassist who lived in the Conant Gardens section of Detroit, Yancey was surrounded by music at a young age, and became interested in it almost immediately. "Dilla's interest in music started at age 2," his mother said in an obituary published by NPR, "he carried 45s on his arm and turntables to the park every day, to spin records — and this was in downtown Detroit." Moving from his Fisher-Price turntable onto a tapedeck, Yancey continued honing his craft as a DJ in his childhood and teenage years. A breakthrough would come at age 18 when he met Amp Fiddler, a Detroit musician who was once a member of Parliament and Funkadelic, who let him try out an MPC at his "Camp Amp" studio after being impressed by his work on such a basic setup. As was the case with all of his prior equipment, Yancey mastered the beatmaking tool easily, and was ready to give hip hop production a serious shot.
Meeting Detroit rappers through Fiddler, as well as at rap battles at Detroit's Rhythm Kitchen, Yancey quickly got production gigs for local artists. His first production credit came on a 1994 track called "Now" by the group Da' Enna C, who have since faded into obscurity (to the point where three of the five top Google search results for the group's name pertain to the one song they did with Dilla). Listen to it below.
Now producing under the name Jay Dee, Yancey showed that he was more than capable of crafting passable jazz-hop beats in the style of A Tribe Called Quest. The instrumental of "Now" is nothing more than a funky four bar drum loop and a muted sample of a keyboard / electric bass combo, but it snaps and bounces with the best of the early '90s beats it drew influence from. Looking to be more than a hired hand, Jay Dee formed the group 1st Down with MC Phat Cat in 1995, and the duo were quickly signed to Payday Records. Unfortunately, due to troubles at the label, 1st Down only ever released one single: "A Day Wit The Homiez." Hear that track, featuring Phat Cat on the mic and Jay Dee on the beat, below.
Much more immediate and earworming than "Now," "A Day Wit The Homiez" features jazzy samples from Bob James' sampled-to-death "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," and Joe Sample's "In All My Wildest Dreams." Even at a young age, Dee was creative enough to avoid sampling the most recognizable part of James' song (the beat that formed the backbone of Run-DMC's "Peter Piper"), and instead crafted a more unique, laid back track. Soon after 1st Down were dropped from Payday in 1995, Jay Dee had caught the ear of California foursome The Pharcyde, who were looking to follow up their successful debut, Bizarre Ride II, with another album. The resulting LP, Labcabincalifornia, featured six tracks produced by Jay Dee, including both the album's hit singles. Listen to one of them, "Runnin'," below.
This time, Dee took his jazz obsession south of the equator, sampling the hypnotic guitar line from Stan Getz and Luiz Bonfá's "Saudade Vem Correndo." This approach meshed well with The Pharcyde's chill West Coast vibe, and saw Dee expanding his comfort zone a bit. It was Dee's first collaboration outside of Detroit, but in 1996 he would go to work with many artists outside his hometown sphere (mostly from NYC). Another development in his life at this time was Slum Village, a group he formed with old high school pals T3 and Baatin. Though the group's debut album would not be officially released until 2005, the demo tape that ended up comprising most of that release was circulating as early as 1997, and a copy happened to end up in Questlove's hands. In the liner notes of Fantastic, Vol. 1's reissue, he wrote:
"The 'tape of all tapes' NEVER left my side. I loved this tape so much I copped a high end walkman for it... I loved this tape so much I did my first 'stage walkoff faking a piss break' during Hub's bass solo just to sneak a peak at a song or two. I loved this tape so much I swear I was gonna break the Roots up when I discovered Black Thought took my tape without my permission."
Below, listen to "The Look of Love," a romantic highlight from that tape (note: although the Spotify player says this is a remix, it's the original).
The Age of Soulquarians
After forming a production team called The Ummah with A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Jay Dee became an in-demand producer in the industry. The trio worked on Tribe's 1996 album Beats, Rhymes and Life, Busta Rhymes' The Coming and De La Soul's Stakes Is High, but their would-be biggest production was never credited to them. In a 2003 interview, Dilla explained how The Ummah produced Janet Jackson's Grammy-winning single "Got 'til it's Gone," but were never credited (except for Q-Tip, who rapped on the track):
"This is what happened, this is coming from me. Me, Tip and Ali all collaborated on the track. I'm not going to say any names, but we all collaborated on this track, made it happen... When it came out, it said produced by someone else. Check those credits, you won't see a Jay Dee, or a Q-Tip or anyone else."
Those names he declined to mention were superproducers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who showed up on the credits and accepted the Grammy. Below, listen to the Joni Mitchell-sampling "Got 'til it's Gone" and compare it to Jay Dee's other work. We think you'll hear some similarities.
Shortly after this, Jay Dee hooked up with Questlove for the first time and with him, D'Angelo and James Poyser, formed a collective known as The Soulquarians. They based their style on the soul and funk music of the '60s and '70s, and ran against the prevailing grain of the day, often using live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. With a rotating cast of members that went on to include Mos Def, Common Erykah Badu and Q-Tip, The Soulquarians became an influential force in underground and alternative hip hop, and released some great albums to boot. The first of these was The Roots' Platinum-certified 1999 album Things Fall Apart, on which Jay Dee produced one track. Listen to the mellow "Dynamite!" below.
More Soulquarians albums bearing Jay Dee's fingerprints, including Slum Village's major label debut and D'Angelo's Voodoo, came in the following years, and saw Jay Dee take a bigger role in the group. In 2000, he produced the majority of Common's breakout album, Like Water for Chocolate. One of the tracks on the album, "The Light," was named by Complex as Dilla's best beat in their 2012 list of the "50 Best Dilla Songs." Stream it below.
This time leaning more heavily on R&B than jazz, Jay Dee found a great vocal sample in Bobby Caldwell's "Open your Eyes" that served as the song's hook. "The Light" was a bit more straightforward of a production for Jay Dee, with a heavily quantized drum beat that's atypical of his usual style, but it was a hit nonetheless. Dee used similar tactics on Erykah Badu's Mama's Gun, on which he produced four songs, and seemed to be headed towards an intersection with the mainstream, so naturally he had to branch out with a solo career. He first used the J Dilla moniker on Welcome 2 Detroit, his debut solo LP, and rapped and sang on most of the album's tracks. Below, listen to "Pause," the album's lead single that saw Dilla letting his weirder side take the reigns.
With an eerie, distant sample fueling the song, "Pause" was decidedly un-Soulquarian in its semi-abrasive quality and Dilla's lyrics about fat asses. Though Welcome 2 Detroit wasn't as big of a commercial success as the albums by The Roots, Common and Erykah Badu that Dilla had contributed to, it saw him forming more of a distinctive style, seperate from the Native Tongues-inspired jazz-hop approach he used earlier in his career. In 2003, he met up with another left-of-center weirdo, Madlib, to record the album Champion Sound under the joint name Jaylib, which you can read more about in Madlib's own Behind The Boards article.
Dilla's Last Days
2003 saw Dilla's health sharply decline, losing a ton of weight and requiring a wheelchair to perform live. Despite this, he continued to produce a steady stream of music, putting out his second solo release, the Ruff Draft EP, in February 2003. Watch a video that Stone's Throw Records made for the song "Nothing Like This" from that album after Dilla's death in 2006, below.
Along with the rest of the EP, "Nothing Like This" saw a more experimental side of Dilla emerging, as he played with different genres of music and used psychedelic effects on his vocals and beats. 2004 saw him contribute beats to albums by De La Soul, eLZhi, Oh No and even Slum Village, whose ranks he had left in 2002. After the release of Ruff Draft, he turned most of his focus towards his next two solo albums, the instrumental Donuts and the guest-heavy The Shining.
Both of these albums came out in 2006, but Dilla only lived to see the release of Donuts, which hit shelves just three days before his death. With 29 of its 31 songs recorded in the hospital, it became Dilla's greatest critical success, appearing on some year-end lists and even more decade-end ones. Donuts made waves with its glitchy, hyperactive approach to sampling, with short songs and off-kilter composition. Picking one highlight is nearly impossible, and would distract from the flow of the insanely cohesive album, so you can hear all of it below.
Posthumous Productions
The Shining was released in August 2006, and though it wasn't received as well as Donuts, its vocal-heavy approach offered a nice counterpoint to the instrumental album. It mostly included contributions from past Dilla collaborators like Busta Rhymes, D'Angelo and The Roots' Black Thought, and even though the bulk of it was recorded when Dilla was alive, it feels like a eulogy by some of his closest friends. Especially evident on the bittersweet "So Far to Go," Dilla's shadow hung over the otherwise-jubilant album.
Dilla production credits still popped up on hip hop albums in the years following his death, some authorized and others made using leftover instrumentals from his collection. Artists like Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip and MF DOOM all used one or two Dilla beats on their albums released in 2007-09, and the compilation Jay Stay Paid, a collection of his unfinished work, was released in 2009. Most of these felt rather flat, as if Dilla wasn't able to squeeze all of his creativity into definitive final copies of the songs, and some of the best posthumous Dilla songs were actually tributes.
To take us out, stream jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD's gorgeous instrumental cover of Slum Village's "Fall In Love," which alters the track to degree that would probably make Dilla, ever the restless innovator, proud.
Be sure to check out more from our "Behind The Boards" series right here on Zumic.


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|Compact version
|Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 11-07-12
Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Tuesday, 12 July 2011 Issue No: 3835
[01] PM Papandreou addresses letter to Eurogroup presidentGreek Prime Minister George Papandreou in a letter he sent to Eurogroup President Jean-Claude Juncker on Monday and in light of the Eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels, on Monday afternoon, asked from the Eurogroup to send a strong message that "there is a strong political will to support Greece's ambitious program of change, provide the necessary liquidity for the new program, and decisively deal with the issue of debt sustainability in a manner that does not negatively affect the greek economy, banking system and future access to markets."
The full text of the letter follows:
"Dear Jean Claude,
Let me again express my appreciation for your continued enga-gement and help in dealing with our crisis. You have stood by Greece in these difficult moments.
At the same time we have all become aware that this crisis has become a crisis of our shared European home.
It has highlighted deep problems in the architecture of our currency, our governance structures, and our financial system.
And no one member state can alone effectively deal with these questions.
Again in seeking to solve problems in the Eurozone, you have tabled important and visionary proposals on behalf of Europe. Such as for example the idea of the eurobond.
Fourteen months after commencing our reform program, Greece has achieved an impressive fiscal consolidation and launched numerous far-reaching structural reforms.
In recent months, our government and the members of the Troika have worked tirelessly to produce a credible medium-term fiscal strategy, including an ambitious privatization plan, that will continue to drive our reform process and stimulate growth.
We have also pinpointed key impediments to reform, particularly our difficulties in stopping tax evasion and in building the capacity of our civil service to implement change. We have initiated a process whereby implementation deficits of the past are being remedied.
Furthermore the President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Baroso has strongly supported a program that will insure transfer of know-how and technical assistance for best practices from other member states to assist us in the implementation of major reforms in our country. This we welcome as this is our government's basic agenda.
Had major reforms been implemented years ago we would have avoided the current crisis.
The Commission has also been forthcoming on proposals and help to stimulate growth and job creation through community funds.
These remain priorities for our government and preconditions to reach a viable economy.
From our side, as you know, the Greek Parliament has approved the country's promised medium-term financial strategy and implementing legislation-approvals that were required for release of the fifth disbursement of the initial program and for approval of additional funding until 2014.
Our recent Parliamentary votes signal a renewed bold effort and strong political will to reach our goals.
Yet in no sense is our crisis over. Indeed, we together stand today at a fateful juncture in Greece's and Europe's ongoing economic adjustment program.
The markets and rating agencies have not responded as we had all expected. They continue to doubt (and therefore punish) our shared Greek and European reform program, and in so doing, are threatening Greece's and Europe's common recovery from the recession that began three years ago.
I am now convinced, after fourteen months, that no matter what Greece does-and we have proven ready to live up to our responsibilities-if Europe does not make the right, collective, forceful decisions now, we risk new, and possibly global, market calamities due to a contagion of doubt that will could engulf our common union. Strong and visionary European leadership is needed.
I say this to you because now there is a greater need to avoid mistakes of the past. "Crunch time" has arrived and there is no room for indecisiveness and errors such as: taking decisions that in the end prove 'too little, too late' to convince the markets we are serious; making compromises that satisfy our internal political 'red lines' that in the end substitute tactical politics for sound management of the crisis (although I do recognize the problems some governments have and the democratic demand for a greater say of Parliaments in trying to deal with this crisis); failing to use in-depth technical analysis and consultation before decisions are made; allowing a cacophony of voices and views to substitute for a shared agenda, thereby creating more panic than security; and I would add more global issues such as doing nothing substantive about the destabilizing role of the rating agencies, credit default swaps, tax havens or about plausible new revenues such as a financial transaction tax.
The above have in one way or another had profound effects on my country and others facing similar challenges.
As for Greece specifically, the attempt over the past ten days to structure private participation in our recovery program, for example, has led to public warnings that the rating agencies would declare a selective default.
While we are not against PSI in principle the proposal that was tabled seems to be flawed. It could prove to be too expensive, too little and too dangerous.
Too expensive for Greece and too little or inadequate to effectively deal with the management of Greek debt. And with these meager results one may still not avoid a selective default.
We all also know that, because there is still a deep distrust about the financial health of the banking system in Europe, that the new "stress test" results to be announced in a few days may fuel yet more market insecurity.
All these debates-around the new Greek program, private sector involvement, the amount of funding necessary, the talk of 'selective default'-- and the continued cacophony in the media only make the problems in front of us more difficult to solve.
Going from crisis to crisis at such a weak stage of recovery, with such a cacophonous press and frightened public, is not any longer an option Greece can sustain.
Greece is responsible for her past inaction. However over the past year Greece has taken the pain, made unprecedented decisions, and yet we have paid for too much experimentation and confusion.
The climate of uncertainty and distrust from markets and analysts is a climate that has undermined and will continue to block the efforts and sacrifices of the greek people towards a sustainable economy.
Concerning Greece, it is necessary that this time we reach an effective solution to ensure three basic goals: debt sustainability, access to markets and means to restart growth of the Greek economy.
Liquidity provided by the new program is essential but it may only serve as relief and not as a cure.
I thus believe it is time now to address our fundamental problems head-on-and produce a comprehensive package of solutions that clearly signals our determination not to see the European project further damaged or destroyed.
I believe that we must begin, as soon as possible, convening a series of closed working meetings-of leaders, advisors, and technical experts-that can offer up effective, possibly even far-reaching solutions in place of one-off and ad hoc responses.
The purpose of this letter is not to get into details of possible solutions as many ideas have already been put on the table: rollovers, reprofiling, buybacks, bond exchanges, eurobonds, extension of maturities, lower interest rates, EFSF flexibility, etc.
What I do believe is that we need a comprehensive and new assessment of both the problems ahead of us, and careful weighing-first and foremost, on a sophisticated technical level-of our options.
This technical assessment will in turn be the basis on which we will all have a better, solid understanding of the impact of the political decisions we collectively and soon must take.
At the same time today's Eurogroup meeting needs to send a strong message that there is a strong political will to support Greece's ambitious program of change, provide the necessary liquidity for the new program, and decisively deal with the issue of debt sustainability in a manner that does not negatively affect the greek economy, banking system and future access to markets.
Dear Jean Claude,
Europe's and the world's economies are fragile at best, and could quite easily now begin the sort of "second recession" that would add years to our recovery.
The developments ahead will also be crucial for the fate of our nation and the greek people.
Whatever decisions are made need to be taken in close cooperation which I look forward to.
My Finance Minister Vangelis Venizelos and I will be in close contact with you to help ensure our common success.
Sincerely yours,
George A. Papandreou"
[02] Greek FinMin calls for new support program by end of AugustGreek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos called European finance ministers to complete all technical details of a new support program for Greece by the end of August and before the release of a sixth tranche of a 110-bln-euro loan agreement, during a Eurogroup meeting in Brussels on Monday.
According to sources, the Greek minister urged his Eurogroup counterparts to send to markets a clear message of stability in the Eurozone as the implementation of a lending program was a precondition for the sustainability of the public debt and the sustainability of the public debt was the basis of the program.
Eurogroup sources said the Greek minister acknowledged the difficulty facing several governments to participate in a new lending program to Greece without the participation of the private sector, while he stressed that he also acknowledged the European Central Bank's role in securing liquidity for Greece and the Greek economy in general.
"Greece is now a laboratory in which Eurozone's resistance is tested, while the protection of Greece is the self-protection of the Eurozone," the Greek minister said.
Venizelos reassured of the government's will to timely implement a program agreed with the troika and briefed the Eurogroup council over the appointment -in cooperation with other political parties- of a board council in newly set-up Privatization Fund.
He also underlined the significance of securing technical assistance from the European Commission and other Eurozone member-states on crucial issues, such as the battle against tax evasion and drafting a new National Tax System.
[03] Rehn, Venizelos confer ahead of Eurogroup meetingBRUSSELS (ANA-MPA / V. Demiris)
Greek Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos met here on Monday with EU commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn, for talks on the progress in the implementation of a Greek programme and preparation for the Eurogroup meeting later in the day, at which private sector involvement in any new aid package to Greece will be discussed.
Venizelos and Rehn also discussed the technical assistance to Greece to be forthcoming from the Commission and EU member states for implementation of its fiscal consolidation programme.
Venizelos placed priority on the technical assistance for greater absorption of the National Strategic Reference Framework and EU structural funds in a more beneficial and speedier manner aiming at enhancing the clampdown on tax evasion and preparation of the new tax system that will encompass a new developmental model for Greece, and consequently will have a developmental and social dimension in addition to the taxation and fiscal dimensions.
The two men further discussed ways in which other Commission services can facilitate the smooth and speedy development of the Greek government's privatisations programme.
Meanwhile, hours later, Venizelos signed a treaty authorising the creation of the so-called European Stability Mechanism, on behalf of the Greek government. Finance ministers from other Eurozone countries signed the document before a relevant meeting.
[04] Government calls for EU solidarity in handling public debt issuesGreek government spokesman Ilias Mosialos on Monday stressed that Greece will meet its obligations and called on Greece's EU partners to ensure that Europe was "strong, united and had solidarity".
He underlined the need for the EU to establish a new relationship with markets and develop stable mechanisms for handling public debt in its member-states, mechanisms capable of defending against pressure from speculators, promoting conditions of economic growth and allowing an exit from the crisis.
"There is no longer any margin for delays. It is a time for decisions," he emphasised, pointing to difficult and painful changes made by Greece in order to address its fiscal problems, including the envisaged changes to tertiary education, hospitals, town planning, tax collection and the ambitious privatisation programme.
[05] Greece sends condolences to Cyprus over naval base blastPresident of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias, in a telephone conversation Monday with Cyprus President Demetris
Christofias, expressed his profound grief over the deadly explosion at the "Evangelos Florakis" naval base in Cyprus.
President Papoulias requested from President Christofias to convey to the families of the victims and of the injured sincere condolences and feelings of sympathy on behalf of the Greek people and himself personally.
Prime Minister George Papandreou has sent a letter of condolences to President Christofias. In his letter, Papandreou expresses his shock over the extent of the tragedy and notes that ''for the rescue of possible trapped persons and the medical care of the injured, and for any other issue concerning the incident, we are ready to assist, in any way deemed necessary, the services of Cyprus.''
He assures that Greece will support and help Cyprus to overcome the consequences and heal the wounds opened by the explosion.
"The island republic has the forces, the ability and the will to overcome the consequences of the disaster," the prime minister said, adding that "in this task you will find us undivided supporters, both to overcome the consequences and for the efforts to heal the wounds that opened so tragically and unexpectedly this morning."
Parliament President Filippos Petsalnikos addressed a letter of condolences to the House of Representatives Speaker Yiannakis Omirou, expressing his profound grief over the unexpected loss of the lives of many of our fellow men.
"The tragedy, that additionally caused injuries and material damages, constitutes yet another grave blow in a series of the country's disasters," Petsalnikos said, adding that "the Parliament of the Greeks, participating wholeheartedly in the profound mourning of the Cypriot people, expresses the warm condolences of the Greek people to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery for the injured."
Defense and foreign ministers Panos Beglitis and Stavros Lambrinidis expressed grief over the tragedy and Greece's readiness to extend all help needed, in telephone contacts with their Cypriot counterparts later on Monday.
"On the part of the Greek government and Prime Minister, I wish first of all to express our deepest condolences, solidarity and support to the Cypriot Hellenism, Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, the government and all the political forces over this tragic event that has shocked Cyprus and Greece and has resulted in the death of Cypriot citizens. To the families of the dead, I express our deep grief and most heartfelt condolences," Greek defence minister Panos Beglitis said.
Beglitis said he has already spoken with his Cypriot counterpart, defence minister Costas Papacostas, to whom he conveyed Greek prime minister George Papandreou's condolences and solidarity, as well as Greece's and the Greek defence ministry's "readiness to provide every assistance necessary".
The minister said he and the Greek National Defence General Staff (GEETHA) chief were in constant contact with Cyprus National Guard chief Lt.-Gen. Petros Tsalikides, who was keeping them abreast on the tragic event.
A foreign ministry statement issued in Athens said Lambrinidis expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy in a morning telephone conversation with Cyprus foreign minister Markos Kyprianou.
Lambrinidis expressed Greece's support for Cyprus and his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured people.
The Greek embassy in Nicosia, meanwhile, informed the Cypriot government of Greece's readiness to provide any help needed.
[06] Democratic Alliance leader expresses condolences for fatal Cyprus blastDemocratic Alliance leader Dora Bakoyannis on Monday expressed her condolences to the families of those killed during a fatal blast at a National Guard naval station on Cyprus, as well as to the Cypriot people and the country's political leadership.
After being briefed on the course of an investigation into the causes of the accident, Bakoyannis noted that "the Cypriot people know that the Greek people stand beside them in the good times but especially in the bad times".
[07] C-27 plane to Cyprus' aid with specialist personnelA C-27 military transport aircraft carrying specialised armed forces and security forces personnel departed from Elefsina airport in Attica for Cyprus on Monday. The personnel on board will assist Cypriot authorities in determining the causes of the accident at the Evangelos Florakis base on the island.
They were sent at the request of the Cyprus Republic's defence ministry.
In the meantime, Greek hospitals were on standby to assist with the treatment of those injured in the extremely powerful blast that rocked the island country with a force some compared with that of a severe earthquake.
"I have contacted Mr. Christos Patsalidis, the health minister of the Cyprus Republic, and told him that all hospital facilities in Greece are at his disposal," Greek Health Minister Andreas Loverdos told reporters.
According to Loverdos, Patsalidis replied that the force of the blast was so great that the dead outnumbered the injured.
Earlier, Loverdos had a meeting with Prime Minister George Papandreou and informed him that the health ministry will soon announce the merger of hospital units, the new list of approved pharmaceuticals and the pricing of medical actions.
[08] President Papoulias in Israel: Comprehensive solution for MidEast problemTel Aviv (ANA-MPA/F. Karavviti)
Greek President Karolos Papoulias called for a viable and comprehensive solution to the Middle East problem that would be founded on the creation of an independent and democratic Palestinian state coexisting peacefully with Israel, after a meeting in Jerusalem on Monday with Israeli President Shimon Peres.
Papoulias, who on Sunday began a three-day state visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, stressed after talks with Peres that "for Greece, Israel's security is an essential and required parameter of a solution", and noted that the upgraded relations between Greece and Israel could bring multiple benefits to the two peoples and also to the peoples of the eastern Mediterranean.
The Greek President further noted the developments in the Arab world, speaking of "the beginning of a change that run through the geopolitical status quo in the wider region" and which, however, "should not draw our attention away from the need to resolve the Middle East issue".
On the economic crisis in Greece, Papoulias said it was an unprecedented situation in the country's modern history, but added that "we are facing a systemic crisis of the euro, which cannot be dealt with with of-the-cuff last-minute solutions".
Papoulias stressed the need for the EU leaders to manifest the political volition and "reach immediately a comprehensive strategy that will deal with the inherent inconsistencies of the monetary union".
The President expressed satisfaction with the new momentum in Greece-Israel relations which, he said, "have as their firm foundations the common historic experiences and challenges that our two peoples have faced and continue to face in their ages-long history".
He further noted the joint decision to institute the Intergovern-mental Cooperation Council, the first meeting of which is due to take place in the coming months.
Papoulias also stressed the prospects of bilateral commercial and economic relations and the attraction of investments.
[09] President Papoulias attends official dinner hosted by Israeli counterpartTEL AVIV (ANA-MPA)
Greek President Karolos Papoulias, speaking during the official dinner hosted in his honour by Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday evening, highlighted as an exit to the Middle East issue the solution of two states with "Israel in safe borders next to an independent and democratic Palestine."
President Papoulias also referred to the possibility of processing and implementing an overall strategy on the new geoeconomic and geopolitical framework that is being created in the wider region, following the determining of an Exclusive Economic Zone between Israel and the Republic of Cyprus, the discovery of deposits of natural gas, as well as with the propect of carrying Cypriot natural gas to Europe via Greece.
He reiterated the need for a viable, workable and European solution to be found for the issue of Cyprus and called on Ankara to recognise the Republic of Cyprus which, as he stressed, "being a member-state of the European Union, jointly decides on the European prospect of Turkey."
Referring to the current economic crisis, President Papoulias stressed the need for "joint economic governance and bold steps towards political unification" in the framework of the Eurozone.
[10] Peres thanks Greece for preventing Gaza flotilla sailingTEL AVIV (ANA-MPA)
Israeli President Shimon Peres on Monday thanked his visiting Greek counterpart Karolos Papoulias for Athens' sailing ban on an international flotilla that wanted to symbolically break an Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Peres expressed thanks to Papoulias, who is carrying out an official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, on Greece's decision "to fulfill the instructions of the UN Secretary General so as not to permit people wishing to misbehave, to come without control and without supervision."
Peres underlined the "importance of Greece's participation in the camp that is struggling against terrorism and in favour of peace."
The Israeli President also spoke of the "careful and legal" managing of the issue by Athens and pointed out that "Greece showed the UN that it is on its side, while offering a great deal to the people of Gaza and to peace."
He added that "you yourself had a private involvement in this. The combination of respect for the decisions of the UN with the real rapprochement against terrorism creates the respect" and also thanked his Greek counterpart for the assistance offered by Greece to the effort to extinguish the fire on Mount Karmel last summer.
[11] PM Papandreou sends message of condolences to Russian counterpart over Volga accidentPrime Minister George Papandreou, in a message he sent to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, expresses his profound condolences and those of the Greek government to the families of the victims of the tragic accident on the Volga river, expressing at the same time the hope that the efforts of the rescue teams will produce results.
"In these difficult moments for so many families, our thoughts are with those who were harmed by this unexpected disaster," the prime minister's message to his Russian counterpart concluded.
[12] PM Papandreou to chair cabinet meeting on TuesdayPrime Minister George Papandreou will chair a cabinet meeting at 12 noon on Tuesday.
The issues to be examined during the cabinet meeting are the filling of posts of judicial functionaries, the draft law on the adjudication of acts of corruption of politicians and state functionaries and the draft law on higher education organising.
[13] Joint patrols by Greek and Bulgarian police in tourist regions in northern GreeceGreek and Bulgarian police are carrying out joint patrols in tourist regions in the prefectures of Thessaloniki and Kavala as of Sunday, extending to Greek territory the corresponding action that began last January in the Bulgarian tourist resort of Bansko.
In the framework of this new initiative, ELAS chief lieutenant general Lefteris Economou and the Bulgarian secretary general of the Interior ministry and police chief of the neighbouring country, Kalin Georgiev, signed in Thessaloniki the relevant document and the creation of joint patrols.
As is anticipated by the cooperation, the joint patrols will include six Bulgarian policemen knowing the Greek language, who will be carrying out patrols until August 21 on the beaches of Nea Peramos and Kavala, as well as Asprovalta and Stavros in Thessaloniki. The choice of the specific regions took place after a proposal by the Greek authorities, since they gather a considerable number of Bulgarian tourists.
"The Bulgarian police who will be in our country, will not carry weapons, they will not have operational and executive responsibility," Economou clarified, stressing that the specific action is being implemented in the framework of a wider agreement, that has been signed by the relevant ministers of the EU member-states.
In addition, he praised the cooperation of Greek security authorities with the corresponding Bulgarian ones, stressing that it constitutes a model for the wider cooperation of all the countries of the region of the Balkans. "United in our struggle against organised crime and terrorism, we are becoming much more powerful," the ELAS chief said.
Statements by the Bulgarian secretary general of the Interior ministry were made in the same spirit. He said that "only united are we strong" and added "when there are no borders for crime, they do not exist for joint actions as well."
[14] Annual July 4th celebration held Thur. at US envoy's residenceThe annual commemoration at the US ambassador's residence of the July 4th independence day celebration took place on Thursday afternoon, with several ministers and representatives of Greece's political, business and ecclesiastical leaders present.
In a brief address during the reception, US ambassador to Greece Daniel B. Smith first congratulated the Greek side for the recent successful hosting of the Special Olympics 2011 Summer Games, stressing that an "effort to ensure equality for all is something we continue to strive for today."
Smith added that during "difficult times" it is important not only to remember our shared ideals and values, but also the "close partnership and alliance that Greece and the United States continue to enjoy."
[15] Several top Serbian officials pick Greece for holidaysGreece is apparently amongst the most popular summer destinations for Serbian politicians, with Defence Minister Dragan Sutanovac and Finance Minister Nebojsa Ciric currently in Greece with their families for a holiday near Athens.
Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and his wife will pass their holidays in verdant Halkidiki, northern Greece, in the first week of August
According to reports, Sports & Youth Minister Snezana Samardzic-Markovic will be on Corfu with her family in August; whereas Vice-President Verica Kalanovic and Human & Minorities Rights Minister Milan Markovic will also pass their summer vacations in Greece.
Financial News
[16] Budget deficit widened to 12.781 billion euros in H1Greece's state budget deficit totaled 12.781 billion euros in the first half of the year, surpassing a budget target for a deficit of 10.374 billion euros and up from 9.997 billion euros in the same period last year, the Finance ministry said on Monday. In a report, the ministry attributed this negative development to a significant shortfall in budget revenues of more than 3.0 billion euros.
Budget revenues missed budget targets by 3.051 billion euros, while total spending was lower by 644 million euros in the January-June period. Net regular budget revenues totaled 21.814 billion euros, down 8.3 pct compared with the same period last year. The Finance ministry attributed the lower budget revenue figures to a deep recession, lower revenues from withholding tax revenue, lower incomes and higher tax returns.
The Public Investment Program's revenues were 79.6 pct higher in the January-June period.
The Finance ministry expects the problem with lower revenues to improve in the second half, boosted by the performance of tax measures included in the Mid-term Fiscal Strategy Program for 2011-2015.
Budget spending grew 8.8 pct, reflecting higher payments for state hospitals' existing debt and higher interest payments (1.277 billion euros). Primary spending grew 4.5 pct reflecting higher payments on social insurance funds. The Public Investment Program's spending dropped 42.3 pct in the first half of the year.
[17] Central government deficit widens in H1Greece's central government cash deficit widened to 13.152 billion euros in the first six months of 2011, from 11.450 billion euros in the corresponding period of 2010, the Bank of Greece said on Monday.
The central bank, in a monthly report, said ordinary budget revenue fell to 22.032 billion euros in the January-June period, from 23.203 billion euros in the same period last year. Ordinary budget expenditure increased to 33.420 billion euros from 30.145 billion euros in January-June 2010, the central bank said in the report.
[18] Exports up 14.7% in MayGreek exports continued rising in May, while imports shrank further due to weak domestic demand, the Hellenic Statistical Authority annnounced on Monday.
The statistical service, in a report, said the value of export-deliveries - excluding petroleum products - totaled 1.331 billion euros in May this year, up from 1.161 billion euros in the same month in 2010, an increase of 14.7 pct.
The value of import-arrivals, excluding petroleum products, totaled 2.696 billion euros, down from 2.926 billion euros over the same periods, respectively, for a decline of 7.9 pct.
The statistical service said that including oil products, the value of exports soared 54.9 pct to 2.019 billion euros, while the value of imports fell to 3.2 billion euros from 3.9 billion euros in May 2010.
[19] Greek textile sector production volume down 19.1 % in Jan-MayThe Greek textile industry suffered a 19.1-pct decline in its production volume in the first five months of 2011, after a 17.5-pct drop in the same period last year, a report said on Monday.
The textile index suffered significant losses last year, hit by an economic crisis and a significant increase in the price of cotton, while production fell 20.4 pct in 2010 from 2009.
Production volume fell 22 pct in May this year despite a decline in cotton prices, and were 65.1 pct lower compared with 2005 levels.
The report, based on Hellenic Statistical Authority's data and an analysis of balance sheets of the 56 largest enterprises in the sector, showed that net results for 2010 was a loss of 47.4 million euros, although EBITDA showed an improvement.
The 31 most profitable textile enterprises (56.4 pct of total) reported net profits of 21.9 million euros, while the 24 loss-making (43.6 pct) reported losses of 66.3 million euros, for a net loss of 44.4 million euros in 2010, after net losses of 44.8 million euros in the same period in 2009.
The analysis concludes that the sector failed to benefit from a sharp increase of cotton prices to record highs last year. Revenues rose 3.0 pct, gross earnings rose 27 pct and EBITDA jumped 71 pct.
[20] Development minister holds talks with Chinese deputy trade ministerDevelopment, Competitiveness and Shipping Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis and the Deputy Trade Minister of the People's Republic of China Gao Hucheng on Monday discussed economic relations between Greece and China and prospects for developing cooperation in trade, shipping and investments, as well as competitiveness issues.
The Chinese deputy minister said that the Chinese government encourages Chinese businesses to develop investing activity in Greece, highlighting the incentives and the opportunities provided by Greece.
Referring to bilateral economic relations, Chryssohoidis underlined Greece's successes in the trade sector lately, a characteristic example being the increase in exports to China by 56 percent in 2010, adding that there is ground for an even greater increase, as well as for the widening of China's presence in Greece through direct investments.
[21] KKE pledges to oppose 'Ellinikos Chrysos' mining investment in HalkidikiThe local branch of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) in Halkidiki on Monday said the party was determined to actively participate in mounting a coordinated front of local residents against the "Ellinikos Chrysos" investment in the Cassandra peninsula mines.
In its announcement, KKE claimed that the government had approved the environmental impact of the investment, in spite of strong opposition from residents and the warnings of the scientific community, caring only about boosting the profits of business groups during the crisis.
[22] Greek stocks end sharply lowerGreek stocks came under strong pressure in the first trading session of the week in the Athens Stock Exchange on Monday, hit by a negative climate in other European markets. The composite index of the market dropped 2.58 pct to end at 1,218.88 points, with turnover soaring to 473.913 million euros, boosted by the transfer of a 10 pct equity stake of OTE to Deutsche Telekom. The Greek state transferred 49,015,038 OTE shares to the German group at a price of 7.99 euros per share.
The Big Cap index dropped 3.48 pct, the Mid Cap index fell 2.62 pct and the Small Cap index ended 3.77 pct lower. Hellenic Petroleum (0.79 pct), Viohalco (0.47 pct) and Coca-Cola 3E (0.16 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while Cyprus Bank (8.33 pct), Eurobank (7.91 pct), Marfin Popular Bank (6.90 pct) and National Bank (5.56 pct) suffered losses.
The Oil (0.32 pct) and Food (0.05 pct) sectors were the only ones to score gains, while Banks (5.84 pct), Health (5.65 pct) and Technology (5.16 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day.
Broadly, decliners led advancers by 105 to 39 with another 48 issues unchanged. Sanyo Hellas (14.29 pct), Mouzakis (12.5 pct) and VIS (9.09 pct) were top gainers, while Euromedica (14.29 pct), Vovos (13.64 pct) and Progressive (11.76 pct) were top losers.
Sector indices ended as follows:
Insurance: -2.00%
Industrials: -0.95%
Commercial: -1.37%
Construction: -1.48%
Media: Unchanged
Oil & Gas: +0.32%
Personal & Household: -1.12%
Raw Materials: -2.63%
Travel & Leisure: -3.20%
Technology: -5.16%
Telecoms: -1.48%
Banks: -5.84%
Food & Beverages: +0.05%
Health: -5.65%
Utilities: -2.39%
Chemicals: -1.58%
Financial Services: -3.64%
The stocks with the highest turnover were OTE, National Bank, Eurobank and Alpha Bank.
Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows:
Alpha Bank: 3.16
ATEbank: 0.88
Public Power Corp (PPC): 9.20
HBC Coca Cola: 18.53
Hellenic Petroleum: 6.40
National Bank of Greece: 4.42
EFG Eurobank Ergasias: 2.91
Bank of Piraeus: 0.94
Titan: 16.20
[23] Greek bond market closing reportMarket concern that a Greek debt crisis could expand to Italy negatively affected sentiment in the domestic electronic secondary bond market on Monday, with the yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German benchmark bonds widening further to 14.05 percent. The Greek bond yielded 16.61 pct and the German Bund 2.66 pct. There was no turnover in the market for the second consecutive session.
In interbank markets, interest rates moved higher. The 12-month rate was 2.19 pct, the six-month rate 1.81 pct, the three-month rate was 1.60 pct and the one-month rate 1.43 pct.
[24] ADEX closing reportThe September contract on the FTSE 20 index was trading at a discount of 1.15 pct in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Monday, with turnover remaining a low 26.272 million euros. Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 7,329 contracts worth 19.651 million euros, with 29,459 short positions in the market.
Volume in futures contracts on equities totaled 21,513 contracts worth 6.620 million euros, with investment interest focusing on National Bank's contracts (5,730), followed by Eurobank (2,830), Piraeus Bank (2,867), Alpha Bank (2,237), ATEbank (3,073), OTE (723), OPAP (530), Cyprus Bank (568) and MIG (523).
[25] Foreign Exchange rates - TuesdayReference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:
U.S. dollar 1.426
Pound sterling 0.893
Danish kroner 7.570
Swedish kroner 9.309
Japanese yen 114.86
Swiss franc 1.189
Norwegian kroner 7.860
Canadian dollar 1.383
Australian dollar 1.336
General News
[26] Nine killed in car crash near Komotini; vehicle loaded with illegal migrantsNine people, including three minors, were killed and four more were injured early Monday when a car laden with 13 people -- identified as illegal migrants and a trafficker -- veered off course and crashed into a protective railing on the Egnatia motorway near the northeastern town of Komotini.
The accident occurred at roughly 8 a.m. The victims were described as of Middle Eastern origin.
The car was cut in two sections and totally destroyed from the impact of the crash.
Police believe the accident may have been caused by excessive speed or a malfunction of the vehicle due to the excessive weight it was carrying.
[27] New indictment in 'fixed' football games caseA prosecutor has prepared a new indictment into the "fixed" football games case, in the wake of wiretapped phone discussions concerning people controlled by the owner of the second division Ilioupolis football club, who is currently in custody pending trial.
The new indictment has already been forwarded to an investigator assigned the entire case file.
Although the content of conversations is unknown, the period concerns a period from March 2011 -- as the January-March period is missing -- and conversations by Giorgos Tsakoyiannis, the head of the Ilioupolis club.
New charges concern three groups of individuals and offences and the prosecuting authority issued an order again on the publication of the names of defendants who are included in this file of proceedings as well.
Charges in the first group concern the offences of establishing a criminal organisation, managing a criminal organisation, criminal fraud, bribery for the alteration of the result of a game and illegal internet betting.
Prosecution against the second group deals with charges of inciting and facilitating an organised group to carry out the offence of violence on the occasion of sports events (misdemeanor) with the defendants being G. Tsakoyiannis, Ioannis Papadopoulos, Olympiacos Piraeus president Evangelos Marinakis and other unknown perpetrators.
The case concerns the understanding reached for organized supporters of Olympiacos' "Gate 7" hooligans to be dispatched during a Korinthos-Panachaiki game last March, to create incidents so the team from Patras, owned by controversial attorney and football executive Alexis Kouyias, would be punished.
[28] Scuffles at protest over higher education reformsScuffles broke out between protesting students and police on Monday, at a demonstration outside the education ministry against a draft bill for reforming higher education in Greece.
Riot police stationed outside the entrance of the ministry engaged with students that passed over the barrier at the entrance and attempted to break through their line in order to enter the ministry. In this effort, the students tried to use a hose attached to a fire hydrant in the ministry forecourt to keep the riot police at bay and the latter responded by using tear gas. The police finally prevailed and managed to push the students away from the ministry's entrance.
Shortly before, university rectors had finished a three-hour meeting with Education Minister Anna Diamantopoulou, during which they had a in-depth discussion on the proposed reforms. The rectors insist that the role of a new university council envisaged by the draft bill should not be administrative but restricted only to oversight. They also disagree with a provision that rectors should be elected by members of the council only, suggesting instead that all faculty members have a vote in the election of the university's rector.
The minister, on her part, stressed that the draft bill's aim was to make radical changes throughout the tertiary education system and that this was demanded by society, while describing her talk with the rectors as having "special significance".
"After a discussion article-by-article on many important points, I expect after my own consultations their written proposals on all the articles on which we have a different approach," she added.
[29] Protest motorcade from Tripolis to central AthensThe local 'Indignant Citizens Movement' of the Peloponnese on Monday announced plans for a protest motorcade from the city of Tripolis in the centre of the peninsula to Syntagma Square in Athens this coming weekend.
Protestors will set off from Tripolis in cars, on motorbikes and even on bicycles in support of the right to freely protest using peaceful means and in order to express their displeasure and concern over the events in Syntagma Square on June 28-29.
They intend to leave on Saturday and arrive on Sunday, July 17, travelling at an average speed of 11.5 kilometres an hour. The motorcade will progress along the old national highway until Corinth, with intermediate stops at Mylous, Nafplio, Argos and Chiliomodi.
On Sunday, the motorcade will depart from Corinth and proceed to Syntagma Square in central Athens, with stops at Agious Theodorous, Kinetta, Megara, Nea Peramo, Elefsina and Aspropyrgos.
[30] Wildfire on ZakynthosA wildfire broke out on Monday morning on Zakynthos island.
The fire is burning a forested area between the villages of Volimes and Anahoritria, on the northern side of the island and, according to the Fire Brigade, residential areas are not endangered.
Eight fire engines with an 18-member crew as well as two water dropping airplanes and a helicopter are taking part in the operation.
Meanwhile, a fire that broke out on Evia island on Sunday has been partly contained.
Seventy five wildfires were reported throughout Greece in the last 24 hours. All of them were under control as of noon Monday.
[31] First summer heatwave aheadThe first heatwave of the summer is due to start on Monday. The National Meteorological Service said that the temperature will reach 39C and temperatures will remain high for several days.
Due to weather conditions and strong northerly winds the state mechanism will be on alert because of high risk of fires in many parts of the country.
Weather Forecast
[32] Fair on TuesdayFair weather and northerly winds are forecast in most parts of the country on Tuesday, with wind velocity reaching 2-8 beaufort. Temperatures will range between 18C and 38C. Fair in Athens, with northerly 4-7 beaufort winds and temperatures ranging from 26C to 37C. Slightly cloudy in Thessaloniki, with temperatures ranging from 22C to 36C.
[33] The Monday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceThe government's plan for the collection of overdue debts, the privatisations timetable and the slump in real estate, mostly dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.
ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "500 euros bonus to the 'productive' employees".
AVRIANI: "Indignants a strong majority wave, as ruling PASOK and main opposition New Democracy sink to 16-17 percent".
ETHNOS: "New arrangement for overdue debts".
ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: ?'Sheriffs' in tax bureau offices to track down thousands of debtors".
ESTIA: "How we will exit from the crisis".
IMERISSIA: "Real estate prices dive".
NAFTEMPORIKI: "Five-month marathon with 23 privatisations".
TA NEA: "Red alert in Europe".
VRADYNI: "Business taxation reduced by 15 percent".
Cyprus Affairs
[34] Cabinet takes decisions after deadly Naval Base blastNICOSIA (CNA/ANA)
The Government has declared three days of mourning for the deadly explosion Monday at the Evangelos Florakis Naval Base in Mari, expressing sorrow and condolences to the families of the victims.
Speaking after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers, Government Spokesman Stephanos Stephanou said the dead from the tragedy have reached twelve and the wounded 62, including two seriously injured.
Furthermore, President of the Republic of Cyprus Demetris Christofias has accepted the resignations of Minister of Defence Costas Papacostas and National Guard Chief of Staff Petros Tsalikides.
The Government has called on the people to cooperate in order to overcome the difficulties arising from the reduced supply of energy and water.
Stephanou said the cabinet decided to call in experts from abroad to assist investigations into the tragedy.
Replying to questions, Stephanou said a meeting had taken place last week regarding the explosives at the Naval Base and that decisions had been taken to protect the material, which had been confiscated in 2009 by the Republic of Cyprus from an Iranian ship in Cyprus' waters, destined for Syria.
Stephanou said the Republic of Cyprus had acted according to the provisions of a UN resolution, in communication with the UN, and that the safekeeping of the explosives had been assigned to the National Guard.
''From the powerful explosion, there were victims and huge destruction. There are twelve dead and 62 injured. Fifty wounded were given first aid and dismissed. Among the other twelve in hospital, two are very serious,'' he said.
Stephanou said that the Minister of Defence and the National Guard Chief of Staff, assuming the responsibility, had resigned and would remain at their posts until replaced.
The state services have been mobilised to tackle the situation, record and restore the damage, and take further action.
The Council of Ministers was also briefed on the situation regarding the power station at Vassiliko and decided on measures to address the demand in electricity.
''The Government calls on all the people to cooperation to tackle all these difficulties,'' he said.
He also expressed sorrow and condolences to the families of the victims, adding that the Government has declared three days of mourning, from Monday until Wednesday. During this time, all flags on state buildings are flying half mast, and all public events are postponed. The funerals of the victims will be held at state expense.
Asked why the explosives had remained there since 2009, Stephanou said that already the area is being examined by the Police with the cooperation of the National Guard, and experts have been summoned from abroad.
''We are certain that a full and detailed investigation of all issues arising regarding the safekeeping of the material and how we reached this tragedy will be carried out,'' he said.
Asked if there had been any warnings regarding the dangerousness of the material, Stephanou said that last week a meeting had been held at the Ministry of Defence and that there had been an examination on site the next day, and decisions had been taken regarding the protection of the explosives, which ''unfortunately were not implemented due to lack of time.''
Regarding the problems in the power and water supply, Stephanou said the Council of Ministers has made a first evaluation of the situation and decisions have been taken.
Asked about persons who are still missing since the explosion, Stephanou did not elaborate, noting that these were delicate issues.
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Some of you may or may not know but we made the switch from Canon to Nikon! I know, I know, we came over to the dark side and when I say we are brand loyalist, we LOVE our brands. Let's start with everyone'e favorite, and if its not, there's grace for you too.
- Apple – we love that sleek look, and it just works, it has its ups and downs and mostly downs right about now, but I'm going down with the ship if it goes down hill.
- Nike – I mean come on, some of the coolest shoes on the planet are made by Nike. Because I love their shoes so much, I don't even want to wear Reebok or Adidas clothes.
- Then there was Canon – Man. Let me tell you! When I first saw that cool red ring around "the expensive lenses" and that huge white lens, I was sold! Canon is clearly the coolest camera system (other than Leica, but who can afford that) and all of the coolest photographers shoot with them, no offense to Nikon shooters.
That list could go on and on but there are just some times where you say enough is enough and thats where we hit out breaking point with Canon and we had to make the switch. So we are going to tell you why we think Nikon is the perfect camera for wedding photography.
Now, this is just our opinion and this isn't the end all be all but we will share some of our practical pros and cons of the cameras! I won't give an exhasutive list of pros and cons between the two, just things that were noticeable for me while shooting 30 weddings a year with canon gear!
I also shot about 12-15 weddings shooting both Canon AND Nikon and I even shot a whole wedding shooting with one camera and one lens (Nikon d750 and Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art). So I feel I have a pretty sample size for the capabilities of each system under the same scenarios.
I will also note that, choosing between Canon & Nikon is also a style preference for you style of wedding photography as well. In our experience, the camera bodies almost seem like they are preferred more by certain photographers depending on their styles, it seemed to be a trend that we saw. People that shoot film and digital or like more of a light and airy look tend to be Canon shooters and shooters that have a moodier feel or had more vibrant/contrasty colors tend to be Nikon users. In the Charlotte Wedding Photography market our style is a little different but you can mostly guess who is shooting with what!
As far as pricing, it came out to about even surprisingly! We made most of our money on the flashes but by switching from used Canon gear to brand new Nikon/Sigma/Yongnuo we actually made a little bit of money! haha!
Our gear list for Canon included:
- Canon 5D Mark 2
- Canon 5D Mark 3
- Canon 85mm 1.2L
- Canon 50mm 1.2L
- Canon 34mm 1.4L II before switching to the Sigma 35mm 1.4 art lens.
- Canon 27-70 2.8L II
- Canon 70-200 2.8L Is II
- Canon 100mm Macro 2.8L
- 5 x Canon 600 Ex-Rt 2 Flashes
- Depth of Field in lenses – This is a huge perk for some people that love a lens that can go to 1.2 and get that extra depth of field. Canon Glass has also been at the top of the list for many photographers
- Workhorse Bodies – Canon builds them strong and they feel strong!
- Easy User Interface – Canon created menus that are simple and efficient. They were easy and helpful for us to use.
- Dynamic Range – If I messed up a shot, I could almost guarantee I wouldn't be able to bring it back in post production. Canon files don't do the best job at bringing out details from shadows or highlights. I haven't personally used the Mk4 yet but I know a lot of people have said that it still doesn't compare.
- Low Light Capabilities – OH Y GOODNESS! I rarely went over iso 2500 without seeing noticeable grain in my images, and that was with the Mark 3!
- Focus speed and accuracy – Equally as frustrating as the previous two is the amount of images that were composed perfectly, during the perfect moment and ended up being blurry! Some of this was user error but other times it was the focus motor in the camera, it just wasn't good enough!
- Wasn't impressed with the 600EX flash system, they are SUPER expensive and I often misfired or took too long to buffer. The Yongnuos are a quarter of the price and have performed just as well!
Nikon Gear:
- Nikon d750
- Sigma 24mm 1.4 Art Lens
- Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art Lens
- Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art Lens
- Sigma 85mm 1.4 Art Lens
- 2 x Yongnuo YN685 N
- 4 x Yongnuo YN560 N IV
- Wifi – The Wifi is pretty freaking awesome! You can take the images straight from the camera to your phone. The only downfall to that is that I shoot in Monochrome so my Jpgs that would be transferred would all be monochrome!
- Dynamic Range – OHHHH MYYY GOODNESS! This camera is amazing! I haven't experienced dynamic range like this and it is awesome. We generally under-expose things to we can save a lot more detail than over exposing and losing details in the highlights. This has allowed us to keep SOOO much information in those shadows and highlights and its amazing! Words can't describe it, I will include some before and after gifs below!
- Low Light capabilities – Lets just say I have no problem shooting over 5K iso if I need to!
- Focus Speed and Accuracy – Nailed It! That is all.
- THe flip screen! – This may not seem like a big deal, but I freaking love that thing! I use it at every shoot, all of the time!!
- They don't have the strongest lens selection as far as Nikon lenses So we use all sigma glass, and its amazing! We LOVE our sigma lenses!
- Build quality is not as high as Canon's but still good enough.
- The Eye cap falls off allllll of the time. So now we just take them off and save them in case we sell the camera later!
Low Light & Dynamic Range Examples
Now, Here are some real examples of images:
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/250 Sec, f1.8, ISO 6400
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/250 Sec, f1.8, ISO 5000
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/400 sec, f2.0, ISO 500
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/500 sec, f2.2, ISO 1600
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/200 Sec, f2.0, ISO 2000
Nikon D750, Sigma 35mm art
1/160 sec, f2.0, ISO 4000
I hope that helps you guys, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to shoot us an email!


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We are delighted to be working with new skincare brand, Yours Truly Organics, on its UK launch. Expertly created by Kelita Bignall, this organic skincare line has been designed for those who suffer with oily complexions and acne prone skin.
Kelita, who had tried prescription and chemical treatments in the past to cure her own acne and scarring, started research into natural ingredients. This led to Kelita educating herself in skincare development and creating the Yours Truly Organics brand.
We have an exciting PR plan in place for Yours Truly Organics, including creative themed press sampling and tried and tested features.
Our experience working with natural and organic brands means that we can't wait to get started and help Kelita build her brand.
Kelita says: "I chose to work with PMW because I felt they really understood my brand and what I am trying to achieve. They came up with some great campaign ideas that suited my goals for Yours Truly Organics".


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Prince Artchil Gourielli-Tchkonia - Helena's second husband
It was not long after Helena divorced Titus that, on one of her many boat trips across the Atlantic, she met Artchil. He was a tall, handsome (supposedly) Russian Prince who enjoyed playing bridge, one of Helena's favorite pastimes.
They were perfect together: he was charming and laid back, totally unlike Titus. They married in 1930 when Helena was 58 and very much in control of her expanding empire.
Though the Prince dabbled in the beauty business, it was not to be a success and then one day in 1955 whilst Helena was in Paris she received a telegram that the Prince had died of a heart attack - three years later Horace also was dead.


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|From left, Dr. William McConahey, Jim Flowers, and
Claude Lovett. Lovett rescued Flowers in Normandy,
and Dr. McConahey treated him in a field hospital.
I met Lt. Jim Flowers, who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism in Normandy, at the very first reunion of the 712th Tank Battalion, with which my father served, that I attended, in 1987. A few years later, after interviewing Flowers at length as well as several survivors of his platoon, I wrote "They Were All Young Kids."
At the 1992 reunion of the 90th Infantry Division -- Flowers rarely missed a reunion of the "Tough Ombres" because he believed it was the division, rather than his own battalion, that recommended him for the Medal of Honor, which was then reduced to the DSC, the nation's second highest military honor -- I met both Claude Lovett, the infantry lieutenant who rescued Flowers, and Dr. William McConahey, a battalion surgeon in the 90th.
McConahey wrote a memoir shortly after the war, while the events were fresh in his mind, titled "Battalion Surgeon." In his chapter about Normandy he described meeting Flowers. He also told a dog story. Following is an excerpt from his book:
Reprinted with permission from "Battalion Surgeon," privately published, copyright 1966, by William M. McConahey.
"During these battles I treated hundreds of wounded soldiers and I saw many incredible things. Here I might mention three of the cases that stand out in my mind.
"The first concerned a young tank officer, a second lieutenant. When his tank had been knocked out by an 88 during the fighting for Hill 122, one of his feet had been virtually torn off. He had pulled himself out of his disabled tank, and a passing aid man had stopped the bleeding and bandaged the wound. Then an enemy counterattack threw back the Americans, so for two days the wounded man lay out there in No Man's Land. During the seesaw fighting back and forth many shells fell near him, and one large piece of steel shattered his other foot. The young fellow pulled off his belt and applied a tourniquet to the leg.
"Later, when one of my litter squads found him and brought him in and I heard the story, I expected to see a moribund patient, but such was not the case. He was calm, cheerful and not in shock. In fact, he was in excellent general condition, although both feet hung in tatters and would have to be amputated.
"When I remarked to him that he was in surprisingly good condition, he smiled and said, 'Well, Doc, I just had the will to live!'
"In the second case a 19-year-old boy was wounded on patrol one night. He was the leading scout of a small patrol which ran into some heavy enemy machine-gun fire, and he fell with a compound fracture of the femur (thigh bone). He knew no one could find him in the darkness, so he crawled a half-mile back to his own lines. Don't ask me how he crawled on a broken femur, but he did, and he was not in shock when he arrived at the aid station some time later. He said he needed no morphine, but I gave him some before I splinted his leg.
"'Is the chaplain here?' he asked.
"Then, as Captain Ralph Glenn, the Protestant chaplain with our battalion, stepped forward, the boy said, 'Chaplain, I know that God spared my life out there tonight. Won't you please read from the Bible to me?'
"So, as I worked, Chaplain Glenn read to the lad.
"The third is a dog story. One evening a soldier was shot in the shoulder, so he started to walk back to the rear to the aid station, but he became lost in the darkness. Finally he crawled into an abandoned foxhole to wait for morning. A short time later he heard a noise and was ready to shoot, when he saw that the noise was made by a little dog. The friendly mongrel jumped into the foxhole and curled up beside the boy, where he stayed all night long.
"The next morning, after daylight, the soldier started off again in what he thought was the right direction, but the little dog tugged at his legs and made quite a scene, apparently trying to get the boy to go in the opposite direction. This the boy finally did. As it turned out, the dog led him back to the American lines. Had he kept on in the direction he had selected, he would have walked into the German lines, to death or some wretched prison camp.
"After we had dressed the soldier's wounded shoulder and laid him on a stretcher, the little dog jumped up on the boy's abdomen, lay down and would not leave. Since the soldier had formed a strong attachment for his benefactor and did not want to leave him, we loaded the stretcher – soldier, dog and all – into the ambulance and sent them on their way to the hospital."
- - -
I received an email from Diane Hamant in 2000 asking how she could find someone to interview her father, who served in the Marines in World War II. Bob Hamant lived in Cincinnati (still does), and the 712th Tank Battalion was having its annual reunion in Cincinnati, so I suggested that she bring him by the hotel, and I'd interview him.
That interview became my audiobook "A Marine on Tinian," and here 13 years later I'm just getting around to transcribing the interview.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, and also in World War II and subsequent wars, dogs saved a lot of lives. Most of these were highly trained guard dogs or bomb sniffing dogs. The dog in Dr. McConahey's story was just an ordinary pooch, but it saved a soldier's life, as did the ordinary dog in Bob Hamant's story, which follows:
Bob Hamant: I had a dog on the island. She was just great. One of the Jap dogs had pups and I got one of them. She hated Japs. She just hated them. A buddy of mine's up doing guard duty, and he's up in one of the gun pits up there for a .50 caliber was stuck way up in the air, so if they opened up with them they'd be over the top of the camp. And he had the dog with him. And he said he's sitting up there, it was pretty calm, we had no trouble whatsoever for a long while. And he said "I was about half asleep," he says, "petting the dog. All of a sudden the dog jumped up and started growling and I turned around," he said, "there was a Jap standing there." He had climbed that thing. He said, "When I stood up, he took off," went down that thing, he says "I didn't even, my gun's laying over on the side," he's just relaxed, but if it wouldn't have been for that the Jap easily could have killed him, so he says "Your dog saved my life."
So I took the dog home with me. I smuggled her aboard ship. Then the captain found out that there's dogs aboard ship. He says, "Everybody's got a dog, bring him over to the port side of the ship." Well, the sailors didn't like this captain. They said, "Don't take your dog over there. He's got a corpsman over there, give him a shot, he's gonna throw him over the side."
So I took my dog downstairs, they had a prison down there, so I asked one of the guys down there if he'd watch her because they're not gonna look in there. I left her down there for a day. Then the sailors, I don't think any dogs showed up, but he wanted them. So the sailors came around and they said the captain's got a cat that he just adores. So they stood outside, they said "If the dogs go the cat goes, the dogs go the cat goes." Then there were different orders. So we put her back in the back gun turret and there was a guard back there because there was a guard dog, so all the dogs had to stay back there, hell, they got better food than we did. But he didn't want his cat to go, and he knew we'd get him.
I brought her back in to California, and got on the train and they had just issued us winter clothing, all we had was summer clothing, it's Christmas time when we were coming home. So the conductor said, "Wait a minute, what have you got there?" Oh, hell. I turn around, the dog's tail's sticking up through the split in the back of the coat. He says, "Tuck that tail in." So I tucked it in and went aboard. We got her home all right, with not too much more trouble.
Aaron Elson: What kind of dog was it?
Bob Hamant: A little dog, black, and it had a funny tail, it went up and it looked like he had a flag on the end of its tail. And she turned out to be a real good dog, and we got her home and found out she was pregnant so she had pups. She had never seen women before, and she bit everybody except my mother and my girlfriend, which is now my wife. Didn't bite either one of them but the rest of the women that came by, my aunts and all, they all got a bite on the leg, because it took a long time to get her used to women.
Diane Hamant: Do you want to tell him about the MP on the train?
Bob Hamant: Yes, some MPs came through, and everybody on this train is going home, they're drinking. And most of the guys on the train are sailors. So they were all playing with the dog, and two MPs came by who thought they were somebody, and they said, "Where's that dog now? He's got to go off the train." So one of the sailors ran up, he said "Take him up to the next car. Don't worry about it. Just keep him in the next car." So about ten or fifteen minutes later, why, he says, "Okay, you can come on back now."
I said "What happened to the MPs?"
He said, "Oh, they decided to get off the train." That's what they said. They threw them off the train. Well, there was a word for it but I won't put it on the record, but that's what they called them anyway. They didn't need to, the war's over I mean, what the hell's he's still trying to be a GI. So they left, and I didn't have any trouble whatsoever after that. That's my dog story.
- - -
Dear reader,
Since I've voluntarily cut back to working part time so that I can catch up on digitizing and transcribing all the interviews I've done, as well as write new books and create new audiobooks, finances are a little tight, to say the least. If you like this blog and have read some of my books, which are very reasonably priced for Kindle, I hope you'll consider donating a small amount to my "Last Hurrah" crowdfunding campaign. The rewards are great, equivalent to what you might pay if you ordered one of my audiobooks through eBay or amazon. But even a $3 or $5 donation, a comment in the comment section, a share, a tweet, will help to increase the campaign's visibility and introduce my work to a wider audience. Sincerely, Aaron


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We have 30 desktop computers for your use, all on the first floor of the library. The lab in the front of the library has two Bloomberg terminals and two color printers, as well as specific software not found on other computers in the library. Check to see software availability here.
Jaeb Computer Center maintains a computer lab in the Macdonald-Kelce Library. Please contact the Student HelpDesk with any questions concerning printing, log-ins, and software at email@example.com or x6255.
The Macdonald-Kelce Library at the University of Tampa is a public partial repository of federal government documents and allows public access to these government documents. Inquire at the Reference Desk if you are a community member who needs access to any government document.


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MP3 by Bishop Wellington Boone
In Stock
$0.99 / each Add To Cart
Eightfold Anointing #1—Personal Daily Anointing to Live for God. Many Christians want to call themselves "anointed" or describe some speaker they know as "anointed," but what does God mean when He says you are anointed? What does He means when He says in His Word, "Their anointing shall qualify them" (Exodus 40:15 NASB)? Or when He says, "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you" (1 John 2:27 NKJV)?
|Eightfold Anointing (Buga! Buga!) MP3
|Bishop Wellington Boone
To God, anointed means that you are becoming like Jesus in every way. He means that you have been anointed to die. The name "Christ" means "the Anointed One." The word "Christians" means "little Christs" or "little anointed ones." All Christians are anointed by God to be like Jesus and to rule and reign with Him. But does God determine the level of anointing on someone by how they perform at their public speaking engagements? No. He looks at their hearts. He examines their lives after they step down from that stage.
Buga! Buga! is an expression from Ghana, West Africa, that means "Serious! Serious!" Ever since he first heard those words, Bishop Boone has used that statement to challenge himself and others to go to another level of Christ-likeness.
Our need to seek God's face
"America's need today is a call for coming revival. Revival comes from fasting, praying, and seeking God's face. Wellington Boone is modeling and preaching this mandatory message."
Bill Bright, late founder of Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU)


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I'll admit I was a bit embarrassed to get seasick on my Great Trans-Oceanic Journey & Race. But this is a full disclosure blog and it did happen so I reported it. What I didn't expect was that there'd be so few posts to the blog while I was out there; I thought it'd get drowned out by the flood of post-sickness stories. But that didn't happen. And, to a few people, their enduring memory of my Brave & Intrepid Exploration of the Pacific Ocean was my "no time now, seasick, get back to you later" post.
Oh well, them's the breaks.
But it did have a silver lining, a 5 year old family friend took it upon himself to draw me a picture; just a little something to cheer me up. He gave this to me as soon as we got back:
The caption for the one on the left: "Edward when sea sick"; the one on the right: "Edward getting better". If only he'd colored the first one green, that's EXACTLY what I looked like.


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My School Play Sticker Stories (charlie And Lola)Consumer Rating
- Number of Pages: 16
- Languages:
- English (Unknown)
- English (Original Language)
- English (Published)
Copyright © 2020 - Charlie and Lola Books
Do you want to get yourself a kids book? My School Play Sticker Stories is a good book. The author is Lauren Child and it was published sometime in July of 2006 by Grosset & Dunlap. The book is 16 pages long. I want you to get the best price when shopping for a book. Please, check out our affilate link.
Grosset & Dunlap
Author: Lauren Child


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27 April 2012
Maeda Atsuko's 2nd Single Titled [Kimi wa Boku da]
Maeda Atsuko's 2nd single has been titled [Kimi wa Boku da] and the release date has been set for June 20th. The single will be the theme song for the movie [LOVE Masao-kun ga Iku!]. The movie hits the theaters on June 23rd and is based on a true story about a Labrador named Masao.
No other details have been revealed but Acchan's song [Mikigata] which is the ending for the AKB/JE drama [Shiritsu Bakaleya Koukou] is probably one of the b-sides.
This is probably Acchan's last song as an AKB member and I'm really looking forward to it, because listening to Mikigata, she has definitely improved.
Posted by Sammy at 4/27/2012 12:14:00 AM
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Recaredo Cava Turo d'En Mota Brut Nature 2003, Catalonia, Spain (750ml)
HK$832.00 was HK$1,350.00
This product is currently sold out.
Agency wine
|| Grapes:
|| Type:
|| Region:??
|DO Catalonia
|| Alc.:??
|| Ratings:
| 2002 vintage:??Very bright and clean straw yellow colour with very thin bubbles which form a large crown on the surface. Great intensity, expressiveness and complexity after such a long ageing. Very fresh cava with lots of ripe fruit, especially citrus, mixed with soft toasted aromas and delicate touches of nuts. A subtle mineral background is also noticed.?? A seductive cava??that fills the mouth with its expression, its intensity and its elegance. Very refined, dry and very fresh cava with a long mid palate and full of nuances. Perfectly integrated fizziness and a lively and very nice complete harmony. Extraordinarily long finish with a toasted aftertaste.?? One of the most elegant cavas that can be found nowadays!
It is recommended opening this cava a few minutes before serving it.


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Property Details
For Sale1 Market Place Apartments, Newark £75,000 Ref: 816
Key Facts
- Character renovation
- Town centre position
- One bedroom
- Lounge
- Dining kitchen
- Shower room
- Draft details
Accommodation Details
- Description
- A beautiful, renovated second floor apartment overlooking Newark's historic Market Place. The building is grade II listed and is a prominent part of the towns landscape. There is one bedroom, open plan modern living space and a shower room. Full of character features.
- Entrance
- The apartment is accessed from the Market Place via an intercom system. This leads onto a communal staircase. A further security door takes you through to a private staircase shared by four apartments which is part oak with original balustrades.
- Entrance hall
- Having an electric heater and storage cupboard housing the washing machine.
- Shower room
- Having a low level wc, wash hand basin and a shower cubicle with electric shower. There is also tiled flooring and electric heated towel rail.
- Kitchen diner
- 15'1" by 9'8" (4m 60cm x 2m 95cm). Having a range of fitted wall and base units incorporating an electric hob with extractor hood over, electric oven, dishwasher, fridge and freezer. There are also three sash windows set into a curved wall, electric wall heater and opening through to the lounge.
- Lounge
- 14'7" by 7'8" (4m 44cm x 2m 34cm)narrowing to 5'8". Featuring four sash windows set into a curved wall and an electric wall heater.
- Bedroom
- 13'6" by 9'9" (4m 11cm x 2m 97cm). Sash window to the front and electric wall heater.


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Photos: Woodworking
Former CKCA president Jake Wolters gives virtual finishing a try during CKCA's tour of Conestoga College's Woodworking Centre of Ontario.
More than 75 members participated in the Canadian Kitchen Cabinet Association's second annual Regional Meeting in Waterloo, Ont. recently.
The two-day event held June 22-23, featured several shop tours, guest speakers and time to meet with other industry professionals, colleagues and friends.
The event started off on Monday morning June 22, with a tour of DJ's Handcrafted Solid Wood Furniture Inc. The company, which has been in business since 1989, is a manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of quality hardwood furniture. Their Wroxeter location has more than 12,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing and showroom area and a new retail location in Hanover opened towards the end of 2009. The company also recently updated its production technology to CNC and uses only water-based finishes.
Participants then returned to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Waterloo for lunch and a guest speaker who talked about the importance of succession planning.
Following lunch the event continued with a tour of Chervin Kitchen and Bath.
Chervin is a complete custom kitchen cabinet manufacturing company located in the small town of Hawkesville, Ontario, in the heart of Waterloo County. The company has showrooms in St. Jacobs and Parry Sound.
Chervin Kitchen and Bath has recently implemented the Biesse Winstore - an integrated system combining the ability to manage & optimize panel inventory as well as capacity to automatically feed multiple machines. Both nesting and sizing cells significantly increase productivity.
In the evening CKCA members enjoyed a reception and dinner at The Museum in Waterloo, which included a visit of the galleries and another guest speaker who talked about the benefits of continuous improvement in the kitchen cabinet sector.
Following breakfast on Tuesday, participants drove to nearby Guelph for a tour of Barzotti Woodworking Ltd., one of Canada's leading manufacturers of quality custom cabinetry, furniture and commercial millwork.
Barzotti Woodworking's head office features a large showroom, offices and a 110,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Guelph, Ont. The company has additional showrooms in Toronto, Hamilton and Rochester, N.Y. Tour participants saw a wide variety of manufacturing techniques, from experienced craftsman utilizing manual skills to the latest in state-of-the-art automated equipment and production lines.
Members then returned to Waterloo for a tour of Conestoga College's Woodworking Centre of Ontario, to see the Woodworking program, its facilities and the equipment used to deliver various woodworking courses.
Conestoga's Woodworking Technician program is delivered at one of the most advanced woodworking training facilities in North America. Students receive a solid foundation in the skills and technology involved in the manufacture of furniture, cabinets and architectural millwork and training in modern manufacturing techniques.
As part of the tour, participants also had a chance to try their hand at finishing, thanks to Conestoga's virtual finishing technology used as part of their courses.
The regional meeting finished off with lunch at the Doon Valley Golf Course.
The third and final CKCA Regional Meeting will be held Sept. 20-22 in St. John's, Newfoundland. Details will be announced shortly.


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On Day 2, we hiked Country Club Trail (No. 632). It is a loop with a tangent that runs up a small mountain. We changed it into an out-and-back to the mountain top. Roundtrip distance was 3.5 miles and the kids did great! Charlie and Jane walked and I carried Henry off and on.
Henry forges ahead.
Charlie continues with his "Farmer Brown" impression from the "Click, Clack, Moo" books.
Who doesn't want a 30+ pound backpack? But he is awfully cute.
Strange gnome sanctuary.
More potty training.
Snack time at the top of Pat Mullen Mountain.
Charlie leaves evidence of his visit.
So if a tree falls in the woods...
Henry bribes his way onto my back.
Charlie liked writing his name in the dirt...
...and drawing "X" to mark the spot.
After quiet time at the hotel, we rode bikes for a bit and then went to the park.