Lazarus

Yes, we are screwed. Do you feel sorry for us now?

From the BBC: Humanity 2.0... Smarter, fitter, better? "Philosopher Julian Baggini explains the radical vision of transhumanism - where humans become part-machine." https://www.bbc.com/ideas/videos/humanity-20-smarter-fitter-better/p05t8q6h?playlist=the-a-z-of-isms Julian Baggini seems to think that part machine, part human is the only way forward.

It would bother me if there were no justification in doing it. Now, if those purple or green people added a twist to the story (i.e. Odin was a Martian), then I'd say "OK. give this one a chance. Let's see what the movie has to say." But having a person painted green for no apparent reason, and performing his character in a traditional interpretation, would have either an ulterior motive of some kind, or the director had 100 buckets of green paint stashed in his garage and wanted to dispose of them. See where I'm headed with this? Let's say we put together a play where Odin was green and Zeus black. [Now comes the important part.... ] Why so? What is the reason for taking this initiative? If somebody does watch the BBC series maybe they can answer my question.

It's not about believing it or not. It's about defending it. There's a place for science in the world. But we would have to agree that it is not science that shapes people's consciousness of belonging to a greater group, it's not science that helps forge values and culture. It is folklore and myth that has shaped the face of a people and has instilled values to the masses. Yes, in today's world, we all know what is folklore and what is myth, but that doesn't mean we should not celebrate their place in human culture. But speaking of Thor and Odin, have you seen them anywhere 'artistically' portrayed by black actors? Do you think they should be? Again, I haven't seen the series, but just because it's released by the BBC doesn't make it "artistic." What message does it communicate? Why the retelling of a classic? This is their promotional narrative: " An 8 part TV series commissioned by the BBC to retell the story of the 10 year old siege of Troy, which occurred in the 12 or 13th century BC. " Creator David Farr said: ‘I’m delighted we’ve assembled such a high-quality ensemble cast, mixing some exciting new faces with experienced actors whom I have long coveted and admired.’ ‘The story we’re telling has an epic and political sweep but is also deeply human and intimate. I look forward to seeing these actors take you on the journey,’ he said of the big budget historical drama, which is still filming in Cape Town, South Africa. It's like reading somebody say, "we came across this two paragraph idea and turned it into a masterpiece." Personally, I find his statement very arrogant. And speaking of artistic, it's like taking a can of red paint and spraying across the Van Gogh masterpiece "The Starry Night" and then saying "it needed a little red!"

I haven't seen the series and I do know that Greeks tend to be a 'racially purists' (which I don't agree with). That being said, how can one tell a story that discusses the adventures and values of people that existed 2000 years ago without sticking to some parameters? First, what was the context of black people in Greek literature in ancient times? According to Wikipedia "Homer's literature is said to have a black character included Eurybates, Odysseus's herald in the Odyssey, who is described as “black-skinned and woolly haired."Homer also wrote that Menelaus visited the Ethiopians first. " (black people were referred to as “Aethiopian,” regardless of their actual ancestry in Africa). While black people were not seen as inferior in ancient times (even when it came to slavery - unlike modern European and American slavery), there is no reference to them as being an integral part of a culture - ancient Greek culture in this case ( Zeus was the top dog, do you think ancient Greeks saw him as a black person? ) And while the values of ancient Greek civilization are shared with the modern Western world, is it necessary to desecrate a people's mythology and rip off their cultural identity? In the name of what? Political correctness? Why can't they write a brand new story that discusses issues, values and presents people as equal to each other without race barriers? Even if one wanted this to be a politically correct adaptation of the Iliad, where are the other races that represent humanity? Why isn't the Aphrodite character an oriental woman? Why isn't Odysseus a Native American? Why isn't Agamemnon a South American, somebody from Peru? Maybe because it's not much about being color blind either? And if Zeus is black, how come all of his offsprings (Aphrodite, Hermes, et.al.) don't include a single non-white person? So much for mythological accuracy. J.K. Rowling successfully borrowed elements from many different cultures and civilizations and created the "Harry Potter" series. Never stepped on anybody's toes. J.R.R. Tolkien gave us the Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. This is what modern mythology is. While, I don't care much whether this series has a mixed-race consortium of actors, I do have to say that I don't agree with usurping other cultures in the name of a fast buck! To tell (read 'butcher') a story that was written 2000 years ago - a masterful story at that. The Iliad belongs to the world - no doubt on my part - but keep it in context with the times it was written. Consider it ancient Greece's gift to the world, but don't take it away from the modern day inhabitants of that south-Eastern European region. Let Greeks, Bulgarians, Albanians, Turks all share thousands of years of wars and culture. “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history.” – George Orwell

From Elias Makris in Kathimerini:

Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Some email server might filter messages as spam. Not much we can do about the particular issue. Messages that originate from these forums usually reach their destination. I do not know if there is an issue with Outlook servers, but I can only suggest that anybody that experiences problems with receiving notifications and messages from these forums should attempt to contact us directly so we can help address any particular problem or issue. Thanks again Athens4.

Good list of guys there! I don't think I can narrow my choices down to ten. So many great guitarists, so many different styles. But I would definitely put Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell, Bireli Lagrene, Al DiMeola, Peter Green somewhere in the top And I'm still discovering more. Just two days ago I came across Johnny Antonopoulos - better known as Johnny A. Very interesting fellow.... I'm looking more into him... Here's a sample with an interpretation of a Jimi Hendrix song.

@Bananas Thank you for this. It brought back memories from that time in PAOK's history and my childhood years in Thessaloniki.

Yet once again, Greeks save the world! Ha, ha,... Funny.

But wait! There's more! Did you know that the FBI, Democrats and Russia are all co-conspirators? At least according to the Asshole-in-Chief.

I don't think you have anywhere to go. Other than throwing smoke bombs and following Trump's behavioral leads (" If I was being political I would have said.. " which you went ahead and said anyway). Enough with conspiracy theories. Wanna talk politics? Talk about actual policies and how they affect everyday people lives. Detesting political parties is by no means taking a political position. However (since you invited us into guessing games) if I were to guess, you're on the far right (or whatever label one slaps on that political spectrum thesedays) and you are a Nigel Farage 'admirer.' And Nigel Farage has repeatedly called for UK gun laws to be relaxed. Since you are from the UK, why don't you enlighten us on what's happening in that area of the world in terms of gun laws and mass shootings? We would appreciate that instead of peddling conspiracy theories about Obama and Clinton. We've had enough of those.

Gekas did score a hat trick against Latvia in 2009 (Greece-Latvia 5-2). That was his second hat trick for NT. Here's a list of all hat tricks for the Greek NT https://www.11v11.com/teams/greece/tab/stats/option/hattricks/

Well, sometimes it matters how we frame a sentence or a question. This is your question: "Didn't burglaries in Australia sky rocket after a gun ban? " In your question, by starting your sentence with 'didn't' you are looking for confirmation of a perpetual and lasting event. If the answer is 'yes,' one is to assume that the number burglaries went up and stayed high. If you were really curious for a statistical number you would have asked: "Did the number of burglaries increase immediately after the gun ban and do we still see that effect today?" Epicurus picked up on the framing of your question and called you out on posting questionable stories and presenting them as news (aka fake news) Whether a poster promotes unsubstantiated content knowingly or not is irrelevant. The result is the same. By the way here's a graph for violent crimes in Australia, and here's a link where you can educate yourself (if interested).

Is this another one of the right-winger sentences that ends up blaming Obama and/or Clinton for anything and everything? Is this akin to the concept: "My fine-China dining set seems broken. I think Obama did it! Hillary too!" or "My cat scratched grandma. It's Obama's fault!" or "I forgot to put the ice-cream in the freezer and it melted. That damn Clinton did it again!" Or maybe you care to elaborate why you end a posting with such a conservative uninspiring cliche. For your information my friend, Barack Obama and the Clintons have done everything that the US Constitution affords them in an effort to pass laws reining in the uncontrollable and half-ass-legislated gun ownership that the Republican party espouses in the United States. In the United States - unlike countries with a Parliamentary Democracy - there is only so much that one person in the executive branch of government can do without the support of the legislative and judicial branches of government.

Thanks Tzatziki. Let's share this exceptional commentary with as many people as we know.

Three quarters of a century ago, Justice Jackson wrote for a 6-to-3 majority in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette: “If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.” (Washington Post) Enough already with the US Fascist and Racist in Chief, Donald J. Drumpf, disrespecting the US Constitution, and everything Flag and Country stand for.

It appears to be from 2009–2010 season (Puma and Citibank are sponsors). More details here: Olympiacos FC: Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Greece playing lackadaisical, no sense of urgency. They need to pick up the pace - Estonia don't handle high pressure game as good.

The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system becomes part of MLS officiating. FC Dallas thought they had clawed a goal back. Maxi Urruti reacted quickest to a loose ball in the box, and found the back of the net to give the Texans a lifeline against the Philadelphia Union. Replays showed that Cristian Colman made contact with Philadelphia goalkeeper John McCarthy before Urruti took his shot. Of course - like every new technology implementation - there will be challenges along the way. Personally, I think video replay was long overdue in soccer and that it will contribute to the sport in the US. How do you feel about it? For your viewing pleasure, this historic first follows...