Thursday, May 10, 2007
...it's been soooooo loong
Anyway, the reason is the most common of all. WORK. I've been running like the coyote (the one of the famous cartoon), chasing for something that I can not have it, or so it seems that way. And as 85% of all the lab cases, I just flushed everything in the sink. THE WORK needs to be repeated. This is the part that I start screaming and make even Mister Satan to turn his face in shame. Anyway, I have plans for this weekend, like going to Nafplio, with a few friends and as tomorrow is a free day cause of today's work. Also dear readers you have the chance to get new articles to read about.
Enjoy
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Miserable
Well today is the day that every optimism in me is gone. I had a 2-3 hours sleep, cause i got worry that i had forgotten an oven operational in Demokritos (foes list), and I was so anxious that I could not sleep. Actually to return to a normal state, I got the first bus at 5:15 in the morning and rushed to Ag. Paraskevi. Everything was OK. A lesson to learn for me that I should never worry about routine. It goes by itself. Although I was tired and sleepy, I noticed that public transportation at the early hours is like being in a completely different world. METRO and buses are filled with every kind of immigrants, going at the northern area of Attica to find a work. Everyone of them was carrying a bag with food for lunch, I suppose. Although they formed companies, none of them spoken to each other. Everyone looked so tired. And I was thinking, are those the bad guys? They desperately go to places that will offer them a minimum salary, like almost every one of us. Anyway, the trip back home was completely different, as if the sun erased the existence of those that travelled at the twilight zone. Sun was glorious, promising an excellent day. My spirit raised with the rising sun and i could think of nothing bad. I return home and started finishing some jobs in the garden (the ones I've promised to my parents) fixed a few loose ends in my apartment, prepared breakfast and a cup of coffee, and chat with my mother. As I went to my apartment Morpheus offered his arms and I couldn't resist him. So I slept for 2-3 hours. At around 2 o' clock I took a bath and joined my parents for lunch.
Then I started to organise my work, but before I started a friend, Fotis, told me that in 15 minutes I should be ready, cause they would pick me up. I went for another cup of coffee with a couple of friends in Argyroupoli. We talked about our favorite asian movies, anime and manga, and also watched half of the match between Larisa and Panathinaikos (no relevance to our story). So as soon as I returned to home I started to prepared for the meeting, with the other guys, at Plaka to wish Elias for his days at the army. I took the bus and it was almost empty, but the metro was another story. Filled with people, filled with vanity, with overconfidence to our looks, filled with people searching but never finding cause their criteria are based on material needs, or i seemed that way to me at the time being. As I was got off at Monastiraki, I watched all those people at the square, doing nothing, smoking the good stuff, drinking beer, and thinking how cool they are. They got the right to ruin everything they come across even if it doesn't belong to them, or even helped to be built. Anarchism in the U.K.??? You should visit Greece, even better live you myth in Greece. They bother me but I try to do everything in my power not to disturbed them. Do they do the same? Anyway, shit happens, but they have flooded the place.
And I met my friends. It was fun. It is always nice to be with friends. With people you can just chatting or analysing the meaning-of-it-all. It is even better to be with the ones you love and they love you back.
But, as soon as I returned back home a calming emptiness filled me, the void became me and choices of the past flashed before me. As I was closer and closer to home I could only think that it is mine but it is empty. And now I'm sitting in frond of the monitor writing down a cluster of my thoughts, believing that it will make me feel better. It does. But, it is not good enough. How my mood changed, from an excellent morning to an miserable night, I think it is not that hard to understand. For me anyways.
So without any further delay, even if it is half finished, even if a small fraction of my mood and thoughts is stated in those paragraphs I publish it, in case I change my mind. scripta manent
Tomorrow, as I will feel fresh and so does my mood will lighten up. For all I care, I will do my best to ameliorate my life.
That's all, goodnight and good luck
Friday, May 4, 2007
artificial intelligence game
You've visiting the house of a couple, Grace and Troy (if i remember the names) that are not going too well. So the goal, if there is any, is to kiss and make up. Soooo, you start a conversation with them, you talk about almost anything and the characters just come to life. You can even interact with the environment. It's amazing. The storyline evolves as you "play" (interact with the characters). Almost nothing is predetermined.
As I go through the game I could say that its more like a soap opera but the script is made by you. This video actually shows one way of storytelling. You can freely manipulate the characters to stretch them to their ends.
It's only 131mb so what are you whating for?
One shallow doesn't bring back spring
The question is about which swallow am I talking about, cause theoretically speaking spring kicked in from March, actually, spring was the succession of autumn, no winter ever involved in the procedure. Since then every good or bad symptom of Spring and the forthcoming summer is here and inspire us or trouble us. So, allergies has taken the best out of me. My skin feels itchy, my eyes are swollen, and painful, lest not talk about the nose called waterfall. Pills do nothing anymore.
The other one is the Sun-that-burns-through-your-skin-and-boils-your-blood. The day-before (as in Greek προχθές, meaning a unspecified period in past-time) while working on the sewerage I got sunburned (sewage???). My grand-mother always told me that May's sun is the worst, but it was still April.
And the inspiring things, the drunken aroma from the lemon flowers, all kind of night flowers and jasmine (lemon flowers are long before gone). The promise of a great summer, with wine, in my yard, listening the silence of summer nights. A trip to Barcelona, and visiting our favorite Island, Syfnos. Summer love, summer wine, summer journey, summer beach...and of course HEAT.
But, where are the swallows??? Have you come across one? Do they still exist? I'm searching high and low for a sign, something, but nothing is there. I'm really disappointed. I only hear the morning chattering of sparrows, but no shallows. I'm missing them, building their nests at the corners of balconies, feeding their nestlings. Not good, not good at all.
P.S. Everything was different this year, birds where preparing for their migrating trips not in September but in January. Deciduous never lose their leaves. Draught is at the gates.
Recent news state that Italy entered in emergency state as Pados, Italy's largest river, started to shrink.
Monday, April 30, 2007
DEATH NOTE
For a few info also check those blogs.
NOVASTORM
Random Curiosity
FOOD
once hungry always hungryso after alcohol, or even better, before, or in parallel with alcohol, food is what I believe to be my TOP priority. I;m not going to present as my first post about food a site of weird recipes, or exotic dishes, but a most scientific matter.
It is called,
molecular gastronomyjust Google it and you'll see what I'm talking about. But, you are lazy bastards, so I'm going to make a brief presentation of it.
It all started when chemistry has advanced so that it could determine what kind of chemical reactions could take place while a food is being prepared (yes it is called molecular gastronomy but actually not like molecular biology, chemistry and physics are the main aspects). So a good fellow, Hervé This, with another good fellow, Nicholas Kurti, started what at the begining was refered as Molecular and Physical Gastronomy.
The basics of it as described at This theses are:
(1) investigating the culinary and gastronomical proverbs, sayings, old wives tales…
(2) exploring the recipes;
(3) introducing in kitchens new tools, ingredients and methods
(4) inventing new dishes based on 2
(5) using Molecular Gastronomy to help the general public understand how science can contribute to the well being of the society.
the reason behind this idea and the “International Workshop on Molecular and Physical Gastronomy” were as it was described by This himself:
Each aspect of our environment is studied by a specific scientific discipline, using the experimental method, introduced Francis Bacon and later by Galileo Galilei. Why should gastronomy be an exception?
So to continue, his idea is to collect old fashion cooking recipes, and put their statement under the harsh experimental procedures, and also introduce new methods to ameliorate the cooking experience (I mean the aftertaste). Nicholas Kurti is no longer with us, but This is active and also recently had a publication on EMBO regarding molecular gastronomy.
To give you an example lets find out what happens when you do BBQ. Meat turns brownish. NO SHIT!!!. What happens inside meat to turn to brown? Well at about 65 Celsius degrees, aminoacids compine with reducing sugar by no enzymatic means, producing Schiff bases, as posted by Maillard in 1912, Maillard reaction, and that results in the changing of color. The point is that during this reaction meat gets its flavor.
Also, for the industry, the goal is to maximize food flavor through the heat-induced Maillard reaction without impairing nutritive value or creating carcinogenic heterocyclic amines, which are formed during high temperature cooking of foods like meat and chicken that contain high amounts of protein. And again, the reaction will give different flavor according to the chemical substances of meat, not all meat are the same. So, chefs around the world try to find ways to increase the flavor of cooked meat, without being either raw or harmfull, overcooked (the Greek way).
So how good it is? Now that is the question. Well, first of all one of the achievements of molecular is to successfully combine ingredients, that according to tradition are incompatible, with amazing results. One of this is the combination of caviar and white chocolate. I do not know if it tastes as good as they say, but it should be good, as combining cheese feta with chocolate from papadopoulou biscuits γεμιστά (one of my achievements as a youngster). And if you think about anything else let me tell you that in Fat Duck restaurant at Bray-on-Thames, a meal costs about 120 euros per person (or that's what i've read from somewhere else)...and to eat there you should reserve a table ages ago.
JAW DROPPING
interview
molecular gastronomy news
a brief listing of links
blog dedicated to molecular gastronomy
molecular gastronomy is dead?
article on Heston Blumenthal, chef of Fat Duck
Fat Duck, images form dishes served
Sunday, April 29, 2007
How to
Good question, the other one is why someone ever wrote a guide like that one? there are many more, like how to get out from a sinking car, etc.
Famous Lines By Infamous People
λοιπόν σκεφτόμουν να κάνω κάτι τέτοιο εδώ και καιρό. Δηλαδή, να μαζέψω εδώ ατάκες που έχουν ειπωθεί από φίλους ή και από εσάς τους ίδιους και αξίζουν να μείνουν γραμμένα. Τα γραπτά μένουν (scripta manent ή κάτι τέτοιο). Όποτε θυμάμαι κάτι θα συμπληρώνω. Για αυτήν την ώρα αυτά είναι αρκετά
οπότε αρχίζω
trotos: προεξέχουν υπέροχα (για δύο όντως υπέροχα)
koxakies.: Αυτά είναι τα άσχημα! (βλέποντας φίλο του να ξερναει, ενώ ο ίδιος τρώει σουβλάκι)
Ηλιας Π.: Μαλάκες, κρέατα! (προφέρεται με πάθος)
sfiltros: Εγώ θέλω την κατανόηση του κόσμου (ως απάντηση, για το τι πίτσα θέλει)
trotos: Η γη αντικατοπτρισμένη απο το Σίνο κατα τη θολωτή γέννεση (τα ρεστα μας)
Νικος Κ.: Δεν κοιμόμουν, έκλεισα λίγο τα ματια μου. (αλήθεια σας λέει...)
Βλαχάντερ: Τζερεμέ! Σουρουκλεμε! Κουνενε! (και συναφείς φιλοφρονήσεις)
Νίκος Κ. (του πέφτει το τετράδιο κάτω και αυτός το αγνοεί)
ερώτηση: σου έπεσε το τετράδιο κάτω... απάντηση από Ν.Κ.: ε, το να πέσει πάνω είναι λίγο δύσκολο...
Γράψτε στα comments κάτι που είπατε ή ακούσατε και έχει μείνει.
[EDIT] christobal έβαλε το χεράκι του
[EDIT] sfiltros, σύσωμη η εκδοτικη αρχή του ΝΙΟΥΣΛΕΤΕ έδωσε το παρόν
Saturday, April 28, 2007
...news
Student writes essay, arrested by police
...WTF???!!! I mean freedom of speech? pfffff I tried to find a link to read what the students essay was about and how could cause any trouble, and i did. As it has been posted
"Allen Lee made references to violence, drug use, and a dream about a shooting spree where he had sex with dead bodies"oh my god i'm in trouble, i think i hear police knocking on my door, well so does Steven Kings, Paolo Pasolini if he was alive, almost every contemporary American novel writer, like J. G. Ballard, most of Japanese film directors including Takashi Miike as their leader and so many other people.
Create a WANTED LIST on the comments. Feel free to add yourself also.
NEXT
Japanese Railway

I do get furious with Greek public transportation and especially when i compare Greece with the rest of the world, so after the previous news of TGV and the speed record achieved recently i found that its great rival in public transportation, Japan, started a new project on magnetic elevated trains (our friends call us MagLev. So one thing in mind...
BOB SAGET help us
...last but not least
Broadband to go free in 2 yrs
In Greece, oh no, dream of it. In INDIA. Yes in India. The point is that if i had heard of it like 1 day ago, i would be there (at the enemies auditorium, demokritos) and kiss India's president feet, no in fact beg him to adopt me.
working on it...
...will it be a calendar of those? will it be Me? will it be something or nothing? will it keep going? does it worth spending time in frond of the screen to write anything?
Well who cares?
One day you wake up and decide to do something. If half of it comes to existence, it is good. If you fulfill your wish, then you are a happy man. So I will try to make me proud.
P.S. the worst thing about this blog, εκτός από το να έχει πνευμονία, το οποίο είναι όντως ΤΟ χειρότερο, is that i always liked a name as onedayitwillbe, but another guy has TM the link...pffffffffff
Thursday, April 26, 2007
OHMYGODITBURNS
...and kids PLEASE DO TRY THIS at home, i'm not responsible for the hungover.
Sea, money, and fire
first there was fire
1. Assault on Precinct 13...hmmm wrong, but not quite, OK the real stuff. Assault yesterday and today to police stations by the Usual Suspects. What I've heard from the news, imagine like 30-50 people crossing a distance of 2-4 kilometers, and then as easy as taking a crap, unload a few molotovs, to the police stations. The surrounding area, bursts in flames (I'm really sorry for those poor bustards that watched their cars burned to ashes). And all of that shit because the demand the release of a convict, who was not imprisoned because of his believes, but of robbery (i found out, by the news reporters that he has confessed his participation in one of the robberies he is accused with (I'm hating writing down in English, but since i started it...).
...sooooooo where else anyone can prepare a few homemade molotov and burn to ashes a police station (well it wasn't burned but you get the picture). how did this joyful party arrived or left from the area in daylight, without any police officer even start a pursuit, even notice anyone to track them down. What the hell do those cameras ever exist? and so on, and so on. I will try to keep this post informed.
links, most in native language:
in.gr
flash.gr
...then water

2. TITANIC strikes back...i think it's been like two weeks...
the story is simple (but be aware nothing in Greece is as simple as it looks like). A ship was sunk while being at the "port" of Santorini. The "" on port is cause of the lack of a decent port in this particular island, peculiar geographic reasons make this almost impossible, for Greek standards anyway. Now even on CNN
CNN1
CNN2
CNN3
CNN4
soooo i heard today that after 14 days post-sinking and recovery of ships black box, it hasn't been sent for analysis...(??????????? probably they just trying telepathy on that black thing, who needs hi-tech??????).
Anyway, one thing left to say...CONSPIRACY THEORIES RUUUUULE. Who's gonna admit that all bad things happening are caused by aliens that are bombarding our planet, especially Greece, with strange radiation that causes a series of unfortunate events?
and then human greed create money
3. take the money and run...a few millions of euros via bond where misplaced, and now are missing??? Truly I'm not the best person, not a clue with economics, to talk about those things. So, money (actually public money, money to pay pensions etc) are in a company's or a person's pocket. Or this is the way i understood things. An then they say that those bonds should bought back from J.P. Morgan ( i seem to recall this company from somewhere...)
latest articles:
in.gr1
in.gr2
it's out of control so they called up the reporters to solve the case.
...live your myth in greece
P.S. how awfull is my writting????
Alcohol...we love it
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Violence, games and reality
Anyway the subject is still open for debate for both sides. I will enjoy playing computer games, listening to metal (καφρίλα για πάντα) and watching violent movies (το ξύλο βγήκε από τον παράδεισο, beating arrived from heaven -free interpretation of classic Greek movie- the ultimate ass kicking movie, where dozen of schoolgirls are beaten up by their teachers, those were the good old days, a real hard-core, Avant-garde movie, from Greek independent movie productions)
from CNN.com
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
The Host
From Korea with love, a movie as good as fun. I've seen it like a year ago but here in Greece it just premiered this week. It's about a family, not the ordinary one, even for a korean standard, i think, that loses theirs daughter by the tail of a GIAND FISH (holy shit!!!)I'll write the rest of the plot and comments for this film... when i feel like itverdict: 4,5/5 if it can be included in the sci-fi section is better than Sunshine. (but be warned not all of you will find this one intresting, it's one of those weird movies that you love them or you just hate them)
Monday, April 23, 2007
SunShine

Yesterday I watched the "Sunshine" by Danny Boyle. After ages (literally) a new sci-fi movie with a storyline that makes a difference.
The sun is dying and with it humanity (if humanity will be still alive when this event occurs...hehe). So, the solution: a spaceship is sent to sun with a bomb, capable of reestablish the fusion chain reaction in the sun, with the escort of a capable crew. Nice isn't it? plain and simple. Actually it would be as boring as Greek TV, if it weren't for Danny Boyle and a really good twist in this rather simplistic plot.
And do not forget the cast.
Ladies, your favorite blue eyed star is one of the best actors in this film. Cillian Murphy, had one of the leading roles in The Wind That Shakes the Barley, during it i felt asleep (it was late and i was tired the movie is OK), but i really remembered him as the scarecrow in Batman Begins...i remember asking my friends who the hell is this guy?
I liked the character played by Cliff Curtis. His role was the phycologist of the crew, the one to mend the traumas of staying for more than two years in a spaceship. He was the character i liked, almost phycho, but not actually, he was just different in the way that he felt things or comprehended situations, regarding the other crew members.
The other actors are quite good, but not in my opinion worth mentioning, so just visit the links to find more info.
...back to the movie,
So if you wake up one morning and it's a particularly beautiful day, you'll know we made it.quote from Capa
That's the goal as i wrote, but something has to happen for the movie to be worth your euros. Well, let's make this mission the second one, with the first to fail just before the ending stage. And also let the first spaceship be found, empty, with no clue of what happened to the crew members (hmmmmm mate isn't this sounds like Event Horizon? You bet it does mate, actually is so similar, that i bet he has stolen material from it, nope my mate the idea is not new but the film is really different in a way. Go and watch it)
The colours were great, like the sun burning your skin...anyway I'm not the best to say anything about colors. I liked the soundtrack. And of course the director's way of visualizing madness. So to finish this...
Verdict: one of the best sci-fi for 2007 (is another one out there?)
4/5
Cool Links:
SunshineDNA
imdb link
official actually leads back to SunshineDNA LOL
and wiki
P.S. the second part is violent and completely lunatic. There are lot of cliche but you really gonna love them in this movie. As a friend pointed out and i agree on that, it resembled the atmosphere of the ALIEN. Closed corridors, no room to run, but infinite space, and with the terror that lurks somewhere out there...you'll find it in the second part in flesh.
France: after the first round of national elections, as it was expected, Nicolas Sarkozy and Ségolène Royal received enough votes to compete for the presidency at second round. Interesting is the percentage of 10% in favor of Jean-Marie Le Pen, the leader of far-right nationalist party. Well it seems to me that as time goes by far-right parties increase their popularity among citizens. Troubled times indeed...so waiting for the second round.
P.S. a lot of info derives from www.liberation.fr, excuse me for any abuse of any TM rights.
Anime...again and again
Radio Over The Internet
Sunday, April 22, 2007
TGV new speed record
How come, you'll ask me. Well, it takes about 1 hr 10 min by train to go from Athens to Corinth (85km), or even 4 hr 30 min for 500km (Athens to Thessaloniki), so how should i feel like? The same distance in France is no more than an hour trip.
Ok you'll argue, the geography of the countries is completely different and standards as those can not be achieved in Greece. But train "exists" only for particular destinations. For other cities/villages either there is no train, or the one that exists at full speed and without any load will reach the astounding speed of 40-50 km/h. So traveling around Greece will take you days. So you are condemned to buy a car (the root of all problems).
Why am I always hearing promises about meliorate the means of transportation but always being at the shadow of other countries? pfffffff