CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ORWELL...

Adapted from an introduction by Christopher Hitchens toDiaries, by George Orwell, to be published next month by Liveright; introduction © 2012 by the Estate of Christopher Hitchens.

At various points in his essays—notably in “Why I Write” but also in his popular column “As I Please”—George Orwell gave us an account of what made him tick, as it were, and of what supplied the motive for his work. At different times he instanced what he called his “power of facing unpleasant facts”; his love for the natural world, “growing things,” and the annual replenishment of the seasons; and his desire to forward the cause of democratic socialism and oppose the menace of Fascism. Other strong impulses include his near-visceral feeling for the English language and his urge to defend it from the constant encroachments of propaganda and euphemism, and his reverence for objective truth, which he feared was being driven out of the world by the deliberate distortion and even obliteration of recent history.

As someone who had been brought up in a fairly rarefied and distinctly reactionary English milieu, in which the underclass of his own society and the millions of inhabitants of its colonial empire were regarded with a mixture of fear and loathing, Orwell also made an early decision to find out for himself what the living conditions of these remote latitudes were really “like.” This second commitment, to acquaint himself with the brute facts as they actually were, was to prove a powerful reinforcement of his latent convictions.

Read with care, George Orwell’s diaries, from the years 1931 to 1949, can greatly enrich our understanding of how Orwell transmuted the raw material of everyday experience into some of his best-known novels and polemics.

http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2012/08/christopher-hitchens-george-orwell

NEΡΟ ΚΑΙ ΤΡΟΦΗ ΓΙΑ ΤΑ ΑΔΕΣΠΟΤΑ ZΩΑ THΣ ΓΕΙΤΟΝΙΑΣ ΣΟΥ...

YOUSSOUPHA FEATURING INDILA AND SKALPOVICH: "DREAMIN'

SHAKA PONK: "MY NAME IS STAIN" AND "TWISTED"

INDILA: "POUSSIERE D' EMPIRE"

HOW TO SPEND 48 HOURS IN CYCLADES...

By MICHAEL PERRY, REUTERS

Greece is struggling under a mountain of debt, violent street protests erupt in the capital Athens, and world financial markets fear Greece will exit the euro zone.

But Greece is still a great place to visit - just head to its idyllic islands. Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors explore Paros and Santorini.

FRIDAY

4 p.m. - Fly from Athens to Paros, a short 30-minute flight. After settling in, stroll down to the road that hugs the main port of Parikia and walk along the seawall, where you will be joined by not only tourists but local families who routinely end their day watching the sunset over the Mediterranean.

The port road hugs the sea and is littered with tavernas offering relaxing lounges and cool sunset drinks, but keep strolling until you reach the 13th century Venetian castle which overlooks the port. Parts of the castle are made from the ancient temple that once stood in the same spot.

5 p.m. - You will reach Parikia's most popular beach, Livadia, after a short walk. It's a great place for your first swim in the Mediterranean and if you want a drink before heading back into the centre of the port for dinner.

7 p.m. - Now that darkness has fallen it's time for some shopping. Just wander through the maze of streets that bisect Parikia's old village. By day the heat is stifling as the sea breeze, like the pirates of old, gets lost, but by night it's cool and exciting. Shopping here is cheaper than Athens and Santorini, and the shops offer boutique, locally made items.

8 p.m. - Shopping can make you hungry. Many of the seaside tavernas serve chargrilled octopus and fish caught in the waters that lap Parikia. For something more upmarket, head to Central Market Street, for the whitewashed and vine-covered courtyard restaurant Levantis. Levantis serves modern Mediterranean dishes, such as oven baked lamb rolled in vine leaves with fresh herbs and feta, fava bean puree and mint sauce.

For the romantics, try Franca Scala wine bar and restaurant on Palea Agora, a little to the north of Levantis.

10 p.m. - After dinner it's a short stroll to Pebbles jazzbar overlooking the port, a funky little bar with live music until late in the night. There's also the Pirate Bar at the foot of Franca Scala for jazz, blues and classical music.

SATURDAY

7 a.m. - Start the day with a swim and a classic Greek breakfast of Greek coffee, yoghurt and fruit. Be careful not to stir your coffee just before drinking (...) 

READ MORE:

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/06/29/48-hours-on-the-greek-isles

via http://www.kalofagas.ca/2012/07/06/greek-food-gazette-0672012/

NASTY GAL 2, THE SEQUEL: HOW TO DRESS WITH EXQUISITE TASTE FOR LESS WITH SOPHIA AMORUSO!

MR. DAVID CAMERON YOU ARE DARN RIGHT! START DEPORTING ALL GREEKS FROM UK INCLUDING THE OLYMPIC GAMES AND THE STOLEN PARTHENON SCULPTURES AND ARTIFACTS!

A sunset in the Temple of Poseidon, in Sounion, southeast of Attiki, Greece. You can't deport that! (Now go back to your 10 Down-ing Street cave). I selected Sounion, a location of breathtaking beauty over UK prime minister Cameron because he's FUGLY.

International amnesty and the cherished right of any European citizen to travel and work freely across the EU is being seriously tested by the collapse of the “Old World economy.”

David Cameron will use draconian measures that would put Greeks on the same footage as most people from the Third World, if Greece exits the euro and as a result you will witness the so-called “Grexodus” of emigrants from the UK.

The British prime minister spoke as if Greeks carried the plaque, and he actually swore that he would do anything to “protect” his country from any sort of invasion. To add to the intensity of the situation, the Greek media has been reporting a rising in the anti-Greek sentiment in those few parts of Europe that are still fairly prosperous.

It is actually a fact that the first new checks on the movement of people between EU member countries in many years are being quietly imposed. Even Canadians were caught up in the dragnet, alongside the rest of the Southern Europeans.

http://eu.greekreporter.com/2012/07/06/eu-borders-are-quietly-tightening/

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LIBOR RIGGING SCANDAL AFFECTED HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF MORTGAGE PAYMENTS IN EUROPE. BARCLAYS RELEASES EMAIL IMPLICATING UK GOVERNMENT.

The LIBOR manipulation story has exploded into a major scandal overseas. The CEO of Barclays, Bob Diamond, has resigned in disgrace; his was the first of what will undoubtedly be many major banks to walk the regulatory plank for fixing the interbank exchange rate. The Labor party is demanding a sweeping criminal investigation. Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, responded the way a real public official should (i.e. not like Ben Bernanke), blasting the banks:

It is time to do something about the banking system…Many people in the banking industry are hardworking and feel badly let down by some of their colleagues and leaders. It goes to the culture and the structure of banks: the excessive compensation, the shoddy treatment of customers, the deceitful manipulation of a key interest rate, and today, news of yet another mis-selling scandal.

The furor is over revelations that Barclays, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and other banks were monkeying with at least $10 trillion in loans (The Wall Street Journal is calculating that that LIBOR affects $800 trillion worth of contracts).

The banks gamed LIBOR for two semi-overlapping reasons. As noted here last week, there were instances of Barclays traders badgering the LIBOR submitters to "push down" rates in order to fatten their immediate bottom lines, depending on what they were trading or holding that day. They also apparently rigged LIBOR downward in order to produce a general appearance of better health, essentially tweaking their credit scores a few ticks upward.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/why-is-nobody-freaking-out-about-the-libor-banking-scandal-20120703#ixzz1zgV7yVgb

Again: Libor, the London Interbank Exchange Rate, is the rate at which banks borrow from each other. A huge percentage of the world’s variable-rate investments are pegged to Libor. When Libor rates are high, it suggests that the banks’ confidence in each other is low, and high Libor rates are generally an indicator of shaky financial health among the banks. If the banks manipulated Libor, they did it to make themselves look healthier, but this had the consequence of affecting hundreds of trillions of dollars’ worth of financial products worldwide.

During the crash of 2008, governments understandably would have been concerned about high Libor rates – high rates and a lack of confidence in banks threatened economic stability – but the notion that governments would have encouraged banks to fake those rates would have been beyond unthinkable even a decade ago.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/libor-banking-scandal-deepens-barclays-releases-damning-email-implicates-british-government-20120704#ixzz1zgVs4hxy

WILLIAM SADLER AND AVELLAN TWINS IN ROBERT RODRIGUEZ'S "MACHETE KILLS"

(...)We already have Danny Trejo returning as the titular character, with roles for Zoe Saldana, Amber Heard, Michelle Rodriguez,Jessica Alba, and Sofia Vergara. Rodriguez has also thrown in Academy Award-nominated actor Demian Bichir and (reportedly) “Ong Bak” martial artist Tony Jaa for us cinephiles, and then there’s the potentially volatile concoction of stars Mel Gibson, as the film’s villain, and Charlie Sheen playing THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. Yikes, Rodriguez surely knows how to cause a stir. (...)Now, William Sadler, the go-to character actor in films like “Die Hard 2” and “The Shawshank Redemption,” has dropped some news that he also has a role in the film via a series of tweets beginning with “First full day of filming on ‪#MacheteKills‬ the most fun you can have doing this stuff. Seriously cool.” Much like his upcoming role in helmer Shane Black’s “Iron Man 3,” few details are available on his “Machete Kills” position, but any Sadler is good Sadler in this writer’s opinion.
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/william-sadler-joins-machete-kills-avellan-twins-to-return-too-20120628

MHN AYTOKTONEITE! EKΔΙΚΗΘΕΙΤΕ!

http://justiceforgreece.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/%CE%BF%CE%B9-%CF%84%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%B5%CF%85%CF%84%CE%B1%CE%AF%CE%B5%CF%82-%CE%B1%CF%85%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BA%CF%84%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B5%CF%82/#more-712

Άνδρας αυτοκτόνησε πηδώντας από την ταράτσα μικρού ξενοδοχείου στο κέντρο της Αθήνας, Αυτοκτονία υπαλλήλου της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Καρδίτσας, Αυτοκτόνησε 54χρονος Σπαρτιάτης, Εργολάβος αυτοκτόνησε με καραμπίνα στην Εύβοια!  

 Άνδρας αυτοκτόνησε πηδώντας από την ταράτσα μικρού ξενοδοχείου στο κέντρο της Αθήνας.

Ακόμα μία αυτοκτονία, στο κέντρο της πόλης συγκλονίζει την ελληνική κοινωνία. Συγκεκριμένα, ένας άντρας στην οδό Απόλλωνος 11, στο κέντρο της Αθήνας, ανέβηκε στην ταράτσα μικρού ξενοδοχείου και έπεσε στο κενό.

Ο θάνατός του ήταν ακαριαίος.

Στο σημείο έσπευσαν αστυνομικές δυνάμεις που απέκλεισαν την περιοχή.

Τα αίτια που οδήγησαν τον αυτόχειρα να δώσει τέλος στη ζωή του δεν έχουν γίνει ακόμα γνωστά.

http://www.matrix24.gr/2012/07/αυτοκτονησε-πηδωντασ-απο-την-ταρατσα/

Αυτοκτονία υπαλλήλου της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Καρδίτσας

Τέλος στην ζωή του έβαλε χθες το απόγευμα, ένας 55χρονος υπάλληλος της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Καρδίτσας.

Ο αυτόχειρας Χρήστος Λαδιάς, που όπλισε την κυνηγετική του καραμπίνα και αυτοπυροβολήθηκε, διατηρούσε οικογενειακό οινοποιείο και όλα δείχνουν ότι αντιμετώπιζε σοβαρά οικονομικά προβλήματα που πιθανότατα τον οδήγησαν στην αυτοκτονία.

http://www.trikalanews.gr/karditsa/autoktonia_upallilou_tis_perifereiakis_enotitas_karditsas.html

Αυτοκτόνησε 54χρονος Σπαρτιάτης

Πρώτη καταχώρηση: Τρίτη, 3 Ιουλίου 2012, 13:23

Οι αυτοκτονίες πληθαίνουν ανησυχητικά το τελευταίο διάστημα. Αυτήν τη φορά, ανάλογο περιστατικό έρχεται να ταράξει τα νερά της τοπικής κοινωνίας της Σπάρτης.

Δυστυχώς, τα ξημερώματα, ένας 54χρονος έπεσε στο κενό από τον 1ο όροφο της πολυκατοικίας όπου διέμενε, στη συμβολή των οδών Γκορτσολόγου και Τριακοσίων.

Μέχρι στιγμής δεν έχουν ξεκαθαριστεί τα αίτια που οδήγησαν τον άνδρα στην αυτοκτονία.

Πηγή: flynews

http://www.zougla.gr/greece/article/aftoktonise-54xronos-spartiatis

Εργολάβος αυτοκτόνησε με καραμπίνα στην Εύβοια

27 Ιουνίου : Τέλος στην ζωή του αποφάσισε να δώσει ένας 66χρονος στα Ψαχνά Ευβοίας, καθώς αυτοπυροβολήθηκε με καραμπίνα.

Ο άτυχος άνδρας βρέθηκε νεκρός το μεσημέρι της Τρίτης, όπως δημοσιεύει το egnomi.gr, σε υπόγειο χώρο στην θέση «Παλιουρή» πίσω από το συγκρότημα του ΤΕΙ.

φωτογραφία από http://oktv.gr/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/φωτο.jpg

=== » Ο θάνατος τυγχάνει ων, ως εμοί δοκεί, ουδέν άλλο ή δυοίν πραγμάτοιν διάλυσις, της ψυχής και του σώματος απ” αλλήλου.»  = Ο θάνατος δεν είναι τίποτε άλλο, παρά ο διαχωρισμός δύο πραγμάτων, του ενός απ” το άλλο, δηλαδή της ψυχής απ” το σώμα.
  === ΠΛΑΤΩΝΑΣ (Γοργίας, 524Β)
———————————————————-
  === » Επιόντος άρα θανάτου επί τον άνθρωπον, το μεν θνητόν, ως έοικεν, αυτού αποθνήσκει, το δ” αθάνατον, σώον και αδιάφθορον, οίχεται απιόν.»  = `Οταν επέρχεται ο θάνατος στον άνθρωπο, το μεν θνητό μέρος αυτού, καθώς φαίνεται, πεθαίνει, το δε αθάνατο, η ψυχή, σηκώνεται και φεύγει σώα και άφθαρτη.
  === ΠΛΑΤΩΝΑΣ (Φαίδων, 10Ε) 
——————————————————-
  === » Η καλόν εκ μακάρων μυστήριον, ου μόνον είναι τον θάνατον θνητοίς ου κακόν, αλλ” αγαθόν. »  = Ωραία πραγματικά απόκρυφη διδασκαλία μας δόθηκε απ” τους θεούς, ότι δηλαδή ο θάνατος, όχι μόνο δεν είναι κακό (επιζήμιο) για τους ανθρώπους, αλλ” αντίθετα είναι ωφέλιμο πράγμα.
  === Επιτάφιο επίγραμμα ιεροφάντη (Εφημερίδα Αρχαιολόγων 1883,σελ.81)
—————————————————
  === » `Εξω του κόσμου το αποθανόν ου πίπτει. »  = Ο, τι πεθαίνει δε χάνεται, αλλά μένει μέσα στη φύση.
  === ΜΑΡΚΟΥ ΑΥΡΗΛΙΟΥ(Τα εις Εαυτόν Η,ιη)
————————————————–
=== » Ουδέν έφη τον θάνατον διαφέρειν του ζην. »  = Τίποτα δε διαφέρει ο θάνατος απ” τη ζωή.
ΘΑΛΗΣ (Διογ.Λαερτ.Βιοι Φιλοσ.Ι,35)
——————————————–
=== » Θάνατος τότ” έσσεται οπότε κεν δη Μοίραι επικλώσωσι. » = Ο θάνατος τότε θα έλθει, όποτε οι Μοίρες ορίσουν.
  === ΚΑΛΛΙΝΟΣ (Ανθολ.Στοβαίου ΝΑ,19)
——————————————————-
=== » Ύπνω και θανάτω διδυμάοσιν . » = Ο ύπνος και ο θάνατος είναι δίδυμα αδέλφια.
  === ΟΜΗΡΟΣ (Ιλιάς,Π,672)
——————————————————–
=== » Κοινωνία γαρ ψυχή και σώματι διαλύσεως ουκ έστιν η κρείττον. » = Η ένωση της ψυχής με το σώμα δεν είναι με κανένα τρόπο ανώτερη απ” το χωρισμό τους.
ΠΛΑΤΩΝΑΣ (Νόμοι,828D).
——————————————————-
=== » `Οστις δε θνητών θάνατον ορρωδεί λίαν, μωρός πέφυκε· τη τύχη μέλει τάδε· όταν δ” ο καιρός του θανείν ελθών τύχη, ουδ” αν προς αυλάς Ζηνός εκφύγει μολών. » 
  = `Οποιος απ” τους ανθρώπους φοβάται πολύ το θάνατο, γεννήθηκε μωρός. Η έννοια του θανάτου, ανήκει στη Μοίρα. `Οταν έλθει ο καιρός, ακόμα και στ” ανάκτορα του Δία αν καταφύγεις, είναι αδύνατο να τον αποφύγεις.
ΣΟΦΟΚΛΗΣ (Ανθολ.Στοβ.ΡΙΗ,12)
————————————————
=== » `Εξεστι γαρ την Αναξαγόρου διάθεσιν, αφ” ης επί τη τελευτή του παιδός ανεφώνησεν, « – «`Ηδειν θνητόν γεννήσας». »
= «Πρέπει ν” ακολουθήσουμε την άποψη του Αναξαγόρα, εξ” αιτίας της οποίας αναφώνησε, 
όταν πέθανε το παιδί του: » – «`Ηξερα ότι γέννησα θνητό»
ΠΛΟΥΤΑΡΧΟΣ (Ηθικά,474D).
———————————————————–
=== » Πενθείν δε μετρίως τους προσήκοντας φίλους, ου γαρ τεθνάσιν, αλλά την αυτήν οδόν,  ην πάσιν ελθείν έστ” αναγκαίως έχον, προεληλύθασιν. »  = Πένθησε με μέτρο τους γνωστούς σου. Γιατί δεν έχουν πεθάνει, αλλά τον ίδιο δρόμο που όλοι αναγκαστικά θα περάσουμε, αυτοί τον πήραν πρώτοι.
ΑΝΤΙΦΑΝΗΣ (Ανθολ.Στοβ.ΡΚΔ,27).
———————————————————————-
» Αυτό μεν το αποθνήσκειν ουδείς φοβείται, όστις μη παντάπασιν αλόγιστός τε και άνανδρος εστί, το δε αδικείν φοβείται. πολλών γαρ αδικημάτων γέμοντα την ψυχήν εις `Αιδου αφικέσθαι πάντων έσχατον κακών εστίν. »  = Τον θάνατο κανένας δε πρέπει να φοβάται, εκτός αν είναι εντελώς ανόητος και δειλός. 
Την αδικία όμως πρέπει να φοβάται. Γιατί, αν η ψυχή φτάσει στον `Αδη με το βάρος των χειροτέρων αδικημάτων, θα είναι γι” αυτήν η μεγαλύτερη απ” όλες τις συμφορές.
ΠΛΑΤΩΝΑΣ (Γοργίας,522Ε).
———————————————————–

» Ταράσσει τους ανθρώπους ου τα πράγματα, αλλά τα περί των πραγμάτων δόγματα, οίον ο θάνατος ουδέν δεινόν, επεί Σωκράτη αν εφαίνετο· αλλά το δόγμα το περί του θανάτου διότι δεινόν, εκείνο το δεινόν έστιν. » = Τους ανθρώπους ταράζουν όχι οι καταστάσεις που περνούν, αλλά οι ιδέες που έχουν γι” αυτές. Ο θάνατος δεν είναι κάτι φοβερό, γιατί τότε θα ήταν και για το Σωκράτη. Το θάνατο τον κάνει φοβερό η ιδέα ότι είναι φοβερός.
ΕΠΙΚΤΗΤΟΣ (Εγχειρίδιο,V).
—————————————————————-

» Μηδέποτε επί μηδενός είπεις ότι «Απώλεσα αυτό», αλλ” ότι «Απέδωκα». Το παιδίον απέθανεν; απεδόθη. Η γυνή απέθανεν; απεδόθη. Το χωρίον αφηρέθην; Ουκούν και τούτο απεδόθη… μέχρι δ” αν διδώ ως αλλοτρίου αυτού επιμελού, ως του πανδοχείου οι παριόντες. »  = Να μη πεις για οποιοδήποτε πράγμα ότι το «έχασα», αλλά ότι, το «απέδωσα». Πέθανε το παιδί σου; Απεδόθη. Πέθανε η γυναίκα σου; Απεδόθη. Σου κλέψανε τη περιουσία σου; Μα κι” αυτή απεδόθη. Όσο σου δίνεται να το έχεις, φρόντιζέ το, ως κάτι ξένο, όπως οι περαστικοί το ξενοδοχείο.
ΕΠΙΚΤΗΤΟΣ (Εγχειρίδιο,ΧΙ).

ΛΟΓΙΟΣ ΕΡΜΗΣ

Αναρτήθηκε από ΧΡΟΝΟΛΟΓΙΟΝ – Βισάλτης

http://tsoutsouneros.arvanitis.eu/archives/24456

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AMERICA!

Drafted by Thomas Jefferson between June 11 and June 28, 1776, and signed on July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence is at once the nation's most cherished symbol of liberty and Jefferson's most enduring monument. Here, in exalted and unforgettable phrases, Jefferson expressed the convictions in the minds and hearts of the American people. The political philosophy of the Declaration was not new; its ideals of individual liberty had already been expressed by John Locke and the Continental philosophers. What Jefferson did was to summarize this philosophy in "self-evident truths" and set forth a list of grievances against the King in order to justify before the world the breaking of ties between the colonies and the mother country.   1912 photo depicts Greek immigrants arriving in the port of New York. Eight years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence of the United States of America the first group of Greek immigrants arrived in Saint Augustine, Florida on July 10, 1768.

CLAYCAT'S "THE RAID: REDEMPTION" THE TRAILER:LEE HARDCASTLE YOU ROCK, BABY...SPOILERS ALERT!

"THE RAID: REDEMPTION" trailer retold with claymation cats and mice, and the ubiquitous -"Mad Dog"- canine, from LEE HARDCASTLE. (See the movie first, otherwise it is difficult to appreciate the humor and the parody of Claycat's THE RAID).

"THE RAID: REDEMPTION". A MUST-SEE ACTION THRILLER FROM DIRECTOR GARETH EVANS

Alfridus Godfred as Machete Gang Member #1 in THE RAID: REDEMPTION, a film directed by Gareth Evans. Photo by Akhirwan Nurhaidir. 

Picture courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

"As a rookie member of an elite special-forces team, Rama (Iko Uwais) is instructed to hang back during a covert mission involving the extraction of a brutal crime lord from a rundown fifteen-story apartment block. But when a spotter blows their cover, boss Tama (Ray Sahetaphy) offers lifelong sanctuary to every killer, gangster and thief in the building in exchange for their heads. Now Rama must stand in for the team’s fallen leader Jaka (Joe Taslim) and use every bit of his fighting strength – winding through every floor and room to complete the mission and escape with his life."

Yayan Ruhian as Mad Dog and Joe Taslim as Jaka in THE RAID: REDEMPTION, a film directed by Gareth Evans. Photo by Akhirwan Nurhaidir. Picture courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

THE RAID: REDEMPTION is written, edited and directed by Gareth Huw Evans, and stars Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim, Doni Alamsyah, Yayan Ruhian, Pierre Gruno, Ray Sahetapy and Tegar Satrya. The film is produced by Ario Sagantoro and executive produced by R. Maya Barack-Evans, Irwan D. Mussry, Nate Bolotin and Todd Brown.

THE RAID: REDEMPTION is a production of Merantau Films in association with Celluloid Nightmares and XYZ Films. The film is a presentation of Sony Pictures Classics. Street date is August 14 for DVD and Blu-Ray. A must-see for all action fans.

Sofyan Alop as Machete Gang Member #5 and Iko Uwais as Rama in THE RAID: REDEMPTION, a film directed by Gareth Evans. Photo by Akhirwan Nurhaidir. Picture courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics.

NASTY GAL: ULTRA COOL GLOBAL ONLINE DISTRIBUTION FOR WOMEN'S CLOTHING. EUROPEAN AESTHETICS MEET AMERICANA. A HUGE SUCCESS STORY FOR 28 YEAR-OLD AMERICANGREEK SOPHIA AMORUSO.

Hard work, vision, passion, business acumen, and extremely good taste, helped Sophia Amoruso to set the foundations  for the NASTY GAL fashion biz phenomenon and online-soon to be-empire . An inspiring story for all young women entrepreneurs out there.

Nasty Gal is a global online destination for fashion-forward, free-thinking girls. In 2006, founder Sophia Amoruso started an eBay store selling a highly curated selection of vintage pieces. In just five short years, the shop has grown to become an international style source offering both new and vintage clothing, shoes, and accessories.

 Nasty Gal founder and owner Sophia Amoruso has always been somewhat of an explorer. As a kid, she spent countless hours discovering various treasures in a room full of random knick-knacks in her grandfather's motel. Ever a fan of the hunt, she loved that each item had a story imbuing it with a unique value that new stuff simply didn't have. As she grew up, that curiosity turned to wanderlust as she bounced from city to city working at photo labs and record stores, in search of new experiences, new people, and inspiration.

At the age of 23, Sophia settled in San Francisco and turned her love of vintage and her fantastic eye into the eBay store Nasty Gal Vintage. With only her killer instinct and intense passion for the project (along with a few hundred bucks), she moved out of the city and set up Nasty Gal's headquarters in her apartment. She did everything herself: mined for gems at Goodwill, shot & styled each look, wrote product descriptions, and did her best to spread the word online. Each week, her stock would spark bidding wars among tastemakers across the globe—from Australia all the way to New York. Soon she started asking friends for help. Eventually, those friends became employees. Nasty Gal moved into its own studio space and its own URL, leaving eBay in the dust to build what would become one of the most coveted online retail destinations of our time.

Since Nasty Gal's humble beginnings, Sophia has brought on a passionate team of creative visionaries who love what they do, the company they work for, and the pitch-perfect fashion that can be found throughout the site. Sophia continues to be deeply involved with the design, buying, styling, and overall vision of the Nasty Gal brand, but loves most to meet the girls–the customers–that have inspired Nasty Gal to be what it is today.

Photos from www.nastygal.com

Video from FORBES. Sophia Amoruso gives styling tips to Forbes's Victoria Barrett.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriabarret/2012/06/28/nasty-gals-sophia-amoruso-fashions-new-phenom/
(...) Which is nothing compared with what Nasty Gal has done for 28-year-old founder Sophia Amoruso. In four years her spunky retail fashion site has streaked across the Web, pushing new ways to sell trendy but inexpensive clothing. The company is on its way to quadrupling sales this year to $128 million, racking up gross margins of more than 60%, up there with retail’s most profitable ventures. Nasty Gal has done this with very little advertising and nearly no ­discounting in an industry forced to succumb to daily dealmaking. Instead, Amoruso has built a brand on the backs of Instagram, ­Tumblr, Twitter and Facebook—and translated “likes” into sales.

Amoruso is slumped in a chair at the end of the table in a fitted black chiffon dress paired with chunky, white lace-up shoes and bright pink lipstick. The girls in the room are hanging on her every gesture. Her trajectory is a fashion girl’s dream come true, but her story is largely unknown outside her fan base. For all of Nasty Gal’s constant online conversations with customers—the company updates its social network pages five times a day and aims to “get dressed” with them every morning—Amoruso is notably quiet, even shy. “Do you guys work out?” she inquires near the end of the session. Heads bob in agreement before a flurry of passionate pleas imploring her to take on the current athletic apparel giant Lululemon.

This is Nasty Gal’s first real focus group, prompted by the upcoming launch of a line Amoruso designed herself. She’s stunned to hear shoppers parrot what she’s tried to infuse into ripped halter tops and chain mail cutoff shorts: “empowering and fierce,” “sexy just for me.” After the group leaves she muses, “It’s as if they read my mind. I never use those words publicly, but I am always thinking them.” (...)


 http://sophiaamoruso.tumblr.com/

Sophia's photos are from FOAM MAGAZINE
http://foammagazine.com/articles/1627-timezone-nasty-gal-s-sophia-amoruso

JUNE 29, 2011 ANNIVERSARY

June 29th marks the first anniversary of the atrocities committed at Constitution Square in Athens, Greece from the "socialist" George A. Papandreou (GAP-pun intended) government to implement in any possible way the "memorandum" bailout (read: selling out Greece-yes, the entire country at a huge discount). Employing hundreds of SWAT teams, tens of thousands of smoke, gas, flare grenades, the crackdown was aimed to terminate the Greek indignados movement and eliminate any resistance to the colpo grosso of selling out Greece. No human rights and Geneva convention were respected, no chemicals, sprays, guns, bullets were spared.

For many days Athens became a war zone similar to those you see on TV news in Syria, Lebanon, Egypt. I know. I had a first-hand experience. I was there. With a tiny HD camera I filmed many hours of  footage, edited it with my editors,  and put the highlights of this movement in my film "DECEMBER RIOTS".   

More to follow...

PARODY POSTERS BY ANTISTACHEF
www.antistachef.wordpress.com

MICHAEL MOORE: OBAMA CARE SUPREME COURT VICTORY A MANDATE FOR US TO ACT

Even though it's been a few hours now, I'm guessing you're still pinching yourself to make sure you're not dreaming. But yes, it happened. At 10:07 this morning, the conservative Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, John Roberts, not only joined with the liberal justices to completely uphold almost every single part of the Obama health care law, he wrote the majority opinion himself! In fact, he went even further. When he realized that the government had poorly made its constitutional case to the court, he went searching for a clause in their argument and the constitution that would give him the justification he needed to back the administration and to insure that his decision would hold up legally. In other words, even though he is on the opposite side of the political fence, he wrote the Dems' paper for them. Stunning. 

The other four justices? They didn't just vote to overturn the individual mandate part of the law, they all voted to kill the entire Act. 
The media is already spending much time talking about the mandate being the "centerpiece of the law," but the real news is that if you ever have a pre-existing condition, you cannot now be denied insurance. If you are a young adult without health insurance, you can now stay on your parents' plan until age 26. The insurance company can no longer say there is a lifetime cap to your coverage. The insurance companies are now required to spend 85 cents out of every dollar they take in on actual reimbursement for your health care – not on profit or "administrative costs" (some companies have been taking over a 30% cut; Medicare's total percentage of their budget for administrative costs: 2%). 
I know that our side is not used to victories and so we're not quite sure how to respond when we get one out of the blue. For some of us, the first inclination is to point out just how weak the Obama law actually is, that it doesn't provide true universal health care (26 million will STILL be uninsured), and that it leaves control of the system in the hands of the vultures, otherwise known as the health insurance companies. The individual mandate was a huge gift to the private insurance companies, guaranteeing them billions more from millions of new customers. And many of the key provisions of this law don't even take effect until 2014 – and if the Republicans win in November, you can kiss all of that goodbye. 
So, yes, the bill is highly flawed and somewhat wrong-headed – but what it IS is a huge step in the right direction. And today's court decision cements that. The right wing knows this and they are probably unraveling in some not-so-pretty ways right now. And that's why today is a great day. The Right has been smacked down by one of their own! They know what we all know — that the path of history has been, and will continue to move toward the basic human right that all people are entitled to see a doctor and NOT have to worry about losing their home because they can't afford to pay the medical bills. Those days are over, or will be soon, and that is where civilization is headed. It's not headed back to the days of Oliver Twist. Today's victory is momentum, it's forward motion, and we WILL have true universal health care in this country in the not too distant future. 
So take some time tonight to celebrate; this is a victory for the people. Actually, more than a victory, it is a mandate that all of us must now make sure that a second-term Obama continues to move the ball down the field, toward a system like they have in every other First World country on the planet. He simply has to improve Medicare and then expand it to every citizen in the country. The countries that do this, their people live an average of two to four years longer than we do. Is there a reason anyone doesn't want an extra four years of their lives? Or that our babies would have a better chance of surviving their first year like they do in the 48 countries that have a better infant mortality rate than we do? Exactly who is opposed to this? You'd have to be a bit…crazy. 
And that, I've come to believe, is the true divide in this country. It's not blue state vs red state, liberal vs conservative, Democrat vs Republican. The split we have in America can be boiled down in its simplest form to this: On one side are the people who believe Adam and Eve rode on dinosaurs 6,000 years ago – and then there's everyone else. On that first side are the people who've been fed a diet of fear and lies and hate. And who is feeding them? The 1%. The richest people in the country, the ones who aren't done with us yet because they still don't have enough wealth, have done their best to dumb down the population through destroying our educational system and using media to provide them with a vastly distorted sense of reality. The rich's only obstacle is that they only hold 1% of the votes in the country. So they have to try to get a slim majority of Americans to vote their way. And fear, plus keeping them stupid, usually works.(...)