A name visible from space

The eccentric billionaire and sheik of Abu Dhabi, Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, carved his name in the sand with large letters in order for it to be visible from space. Each letter of his name, "Hamad", is 1km. long whist its width is about 3 km. The word was written on an island owned by the sheik. A solution to preserve the name was given by allowing the entry of seawater within the shapes of the letters, since this was done within a dessert area.  

Sheikh Hamad, also known as "Sheikh of the rainbow" is a member of the royal family who runs Abu Dhabi. He owns 200 cars, including seven Merceded 500 SELs painted with different colours, hence his nickname. 

   

A house worth 507 euros!

Indian company Tata Group, which became known as the maker of the cheapest cars in the world, now has manufactured the cheapest house for only 507 euros. This house can be completed within a week. The basic package given with this price includes a 20 square meters house , with walls (exterior and interior) from coir and jute, while its life expectancy is estimated to be approximately 20 years. The company, however, plans to offer prefabricated houses that contain windows, roofs, doors and many more.

Although this has a limited life expectancy, it can be a solution for thousands of poor and homeless people which could even be paid by the state. In subsequent drafts of the Tata Group, most advanced projects are being constructed, equipped with solar panels and porches, addressed to a wider audience.  

Great Jobs

Here I will show some examples of people with great jobs, probably a few of the best jobs in the world. However this is a subjective matter, since everyone has different interests. Nevertheless these few paradigms are, I believe, objectively (up to a point) good jobs. 

Ben Southall managed to stand out among 35.000 people around the world for one of the finest works in the world. This job involved him swimming, exploring and relaxing on the island Hamilton, whilst simultaneously having to write on the island's blog. However this could seem ideal, he will eventually receive $111.000 for the six months working on the island.

The girl depicted here found the job of her dreams. Roisin Madigan is paid 1.200 euros a day for sleeping in designer beds. From 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. she spends her time in a company room that makes the beds. At the end of it she writes her experiences in a related to her work blog. 

The perfect job for a 6 year old. Little Sam Pointon wanted to become the director of the National Railway Museum in New York, after the resignation of the previous director. He even sent the museum a letter, which was entitled "Application for Director", requesting an appointment for an interview. The staff were very enthusiastic with this application and took little Sam on board, making him Director of Entertainment. His work description is to advise the "adults" how he believes the museum can become the most amusing one for young kids.    

European Institutions

I am sure not everyone knows how the European Union actually functions. All we hear on the news is that Brussels has decided this or that. However I am sure it is worth explaining the European Institutions, especially for those living within the EU. 

The institutions of the European Union form the framework for cooperation between the (current) 27 member states. The European Commission is the only one that can initiate legislation. It submits its proposals to the European Parliament and the Council of Ministers, in order to be approved or rejected. The parliament also has responsibility for supervising the 27 commissioners and is the only institution with the power to fire them. Commissioners are appointed by the Council of Ministers and then approved by the parliament.
When legislation is finally passed, the European Court of Justice makes sure it is interpreted uniformly across all the member states.
The Court of Auditors is the watchdog for the budget, checking that the money is being well spent.

The European Commission is the only body that can propose legislation within the EU. It is seen as the driving force behind European integration. The commission is made up of 27 commissioners, each with a responsibility for a policy area, such as agriculture or enlargement, each being appointed by the member states and are usually senior politicians. Nevertheless, their main focus is to act in the general European interest and not to advance the interests of their own countries.

The Council of Ministers is where member states have their say. This can bring together government ministers from each country, ambassadors and even government officials. The Council of Ministers, formally known as the Council of the European Union, should not be confused with the European Council, which is the name given to regular meetings, summits, of the EU heads of state. Under the Lisbon Treaty the Union has for the first time a full time President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, from Belgium, serving for 2,5 years. This treaty has also given the EU a new foreign policy supremo, Baroness Catherine Ashton from Great Britain.

The parliament is the only direct elected body within the European Union. It holds regular plenary sessions in Strasbourg and retains a secretariat in Luxembourg; however members of the parliament do most of their work in Brussels. This is where they examine draft legislations in committees and consult with the Commission and Council of Ministers. The parliament has the power to sack the Commission, it holds hearings on new commissioners and has the last word on about half the spending in the EU annual budget. Its powers, however, have been gradually increasing.  A majority of EU legislation requires to be approved by both parliament and the Council of Ministers before it becomes law.

The European Court located in Luxembourg rules on disputes over EU treaties and other Union legislation. Its decisions are binding on EU institutions and member states. The latter can be taken to court for failing to meet its obligations under EU law. Big fines can be imposed for non-compliance with the courts' rulings. The court hears actions brought by individuals seeking damages from European institutions, or the annulment of EU legislation which directly concerns them. It also clarifies points of European law at the request of courts in member states. It complies of senior judges from each member state, who hold office for a renewable term of six years.

The European Central Bank located in the German city Frankfurt is responsible for monetary policy within the eurozone.  Its main goals are maintaining price stability and safeguards the value of the euro. It does this together with the eurozones' national central banks, by setting interest rates, conducting foreign exchange operations and managing national foreign reserves. The bank is formally independent, along the lines of the German Bundesbank. When taking decisions on monetary policy, neither the ECB nor the national central banks are allowed to take instructions from the EU institutions or member states.

The EU relies on a number of smaller bodies to keep it running. There are various agencies found across the continent dedicated to every aspect of European life.  

Awesome sunset picking up ice cream.

Two bi scoli surgeries today which went real well. Second was actually kyphosis and thoracic fracture case w compression of spinal cord. Went well and family very thankful. He was bent way over an could barely walk.

After seeing Mia Postop w her mom, our 13 Yo scoliosis surgery from this morning, I headed home, had nice dinner and then went out to pick up ice cream.

The North Carolina sunset sky is an amazon pink. Driving through the countryside is magical at this hour --- out to Maple View Farms, which is dairy farm that serves awesome ice cream. Great place to go after a long day in operating room 12 --- from focusing on an area about 3 inches in diameter face down for 8 hrs (2 surgeries) to head up looking at a huge blue and pink sky ----- what a joy!

13 Yo girl w 40 degree Thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis fixed this am

T10-L3 instrumentation and fusion
Ebl: 350 cc
Blood transfused: none
Complications: none
Surgical time 2 hr 30 min

Very happy with correction.
Was able to spare her the longer fusion with less levels since thoracic curve was small enough and flexible enough --- good motivation to fix earlier!

We fixed a 24 Yo w scoliosis last week from Asheville nc area today, which I about 5 hours away, in the beautiful north Carolina mountains, west of Charlotte, Nc. I was there last weekend doing rock climbing at Chimney Rock w my daughter. Amazing experience!!!

Summer holidays in the ancient world

According to professor of Classical Archaeology at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, M.A. Tiverios, those who first introduced holidays for purposes of relaxing were the ancient Romans. Although we all believe that this is a practice magnified today, we never considered that it was a habit that began thousands of years ago. 

In ancient Greece people travelled frequently. They even preferred to travel by sea, not of course during the winter period. The sea was seen as a more secure, faster and comfortable way of getting from A to B. Many were the reasons that made them travel and leave their city for a bit, mainly professional and health reasons, for example visiting the famous medical centres of Asclepieia of Epidauros and Kos, and also for religious reasons. They used to visit sanctuaries such as Olympia in order to participate in various religious events and attend the Olympic Games, they attended famous festivals, for example the Panathinaia and the Great Donysian in Athens, they also visited shrines, oracles (the most famous within the Hellenic World being the one dedicated to Apollo at Delphi to consult the deity in order to address a problem). Also a minority travelled the known world in order to observe the interesting sites of their time, i.e. site seeing.  

The rich Romans on the other hand had more than one country house, so the holidays did not take place at the same house and location each time. The holiday villas exist from the second century B.C., when the distinction between private and public life of the Roman aristocracy is made clear. The cottage represented the meaning of otium (leisure, life in rural areas) as opposed to the concept of negotium (duty, political activity). The holiday destinations preferred were the coastal areas and green mountainous slopes, in general areas with a healthy climate.The Roman nobility showed a strong preference for the Bay of Naples and the green hills around Rome. They resorted to the seaside in the spring months and the mountains in the summer period. They did this so they would avoid not only the hot weather but also the masses of people who resorted on the beaches. Many of the vacation mansions quickly evolved into a self and social recognition, emphasising the high social status of the owner; they were amazing with their wealth, having galleries, libraries, swimming pools, gardens with fountains and baths. Many aristocrats even built their houses near the sea, on the beach, in order to fish from their house and in many cases even from their bedrooms. The most luxurious also had farms that fed rare fish, including myrrh, a delicious dish for the Romans. 

A city in the Bay of Naples, which was particularly preferred by the Roman aristocrats, emperors and their families was Vaia, today known was Baia. It was not just a famous seaside resort but also a cosmopolitan spa town since it had hot springs. Often during the night, members of the high society would  travel around with their boats, whilst being accompanied by women with  low morals, often swimming naked and getting very drunk. However this was not a practice for only the aristocrats. During the 1 and 2 century A.D. many middle class people visited and holidayed in these areas. Naples was also the favourite tourist place for the intellectuals and lovers of Greek culture.  

Google is changing our memory!

Google and other search engines are changing the way human memory works, according to a new study. These search engines give us every day thousands of solutions and facilitate various problems on a daily basis.  

The survey, which is the first to examine the influence of search engines on human memory, was conducted by psychologists of Columbia and Harvard Universities together with the University of Wisconsin. The results found indicate that the way with which our brain saves the various data has altered significantly because of the certainty that some of the problems and issues will be found and answered on-line.  

According to experts the Internet has now developed into a dominant form of what psychology calls "transitional memory"; memories that are out of our minds but we know where and how we can access them. Previously this was found in experts or in books in our local libraries. Today internet has taken over, showing its vivid presence in our modern daily life. 

As shown from this survey, we all demonstrate a tendency to forget the things we are sure we can find on the internet while trying to remember those that we know that we cannot find on-line. We also remember where we can find the information needed instead of remembering the actual information. Does this mean that we are getting dumber or substandard or that we rely on the internet too much, is a matter for another research. 

Maggie and Me in Clinic on Friday!

I saw Maggie back for follow-up in clinic with her family on Friday.  She’s a few weeks postop from the Shilla Procedure for her complex early onset scoliosis, which also included an anterior 4 segment fusion.  She was only 45 lbs when we did her surgery, and had quite a bit of growing remaining.  The Shilla Procedure allows her spine to grow along the rods through pedicle screws at the top and bottom of her scoliosis construct, guiding the path for her growth.  It does not require the routine revision surgeries for adjustments which are needed for the growing rod technique.  Dr. Richard McCarthy was kind enough to teach me this technique with one of my patients, Janelle, who had surgery back in December.

She greeted me with a big smile and a big hug, and gave me a wonderful “Thank You” card she made herself.  On the back of the card she said “My back feels so much better!”

She then showed us how she could run down the hall.

What an awesome day.

Thanks for the great card, Maggie.  I will treasure it always.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Surgery
http://www.heyclinic.com

Weirdest taxes in history

- Tsar Peter the Great of Russia taxed those who had a beard and required them to carry medals, admitting that their beards were ridiculous. 

- This next tax seems ridiculous and quite impossible for a government to convince its citizens to declare all their income to the IRS (Internal Revenue Service). That is why it seems crazy telling citizens to declare money earned from drug trafficking. The instructions for completing the tax return from the U.S. IRS claim that "illegal income, such as money from illicit drug trafficking should be included in the income statement form 1040, line 21".

- In ancient Rome a tax known as the release tax, which essentially required money from someone who was no longer a slave. There are some paradigms where the owners were forced to pay this amount, but normally the former slave had to pay 10% of his "slave" value. 

- Oliver Cromwell established a tax which concerned any dispute with the king, although he wasn't a king himself, in 1655 mainly referring to the nobles within England, after he took power. Cromwell used part of this money in order to fight against several nobles. 

- In England in the 14th century several taxes and poll taxes were introduced. This led to the establishment of a crazy one, imposed on everyone since it taxed everyones' existence, i.e. just because they were alive they had to pay tax for it. Many peasants revolted, making it the beginning of the highly destructive revolt of the peasants. 

- The Nobel Tax. The financial rewards of a Nobel Prize are taxed by the U.S. IRS. This sounds strange, since Alfred Nobel has stated that the prize is awarded to those who have provided the greatest benefit to mankind.  Someone is exempt of this tax only if the money is donated to a charitable organisation or to the government. 

- Taxes on immigrants and foreigners are not at all uncommon, even in the 20th century. Canada began to tax the Chinese immigrants in 1885 and ceased in 1923. This was done in order to ban the entry of Chinese immigrants in the North American state and not because they had a sudden change of heart. 

- Salt tax. This is one of the greatest examples of a problematic and reckless idea and tax in history. The tax on salt is partially responsible for the decline of the Chinese Empire, the French salt tax contributed towards the French Revolution and Gandhi took part in a protest against such a tax in 1930, laying the groundwork for a movement of independence of India from British rule. 

Αν φαίνεται ακατόρθωτο για μια κυβέρνηση να πείσει τους πολίτες να δηλώνουν όλα τα εισοδήματα τους στην εφορία, φανταστείτε πόσο τρελό είναι να τους λέει να δηλώσουν τα χρήματα που κέρδισαν από διακίνηση ναρκωτικών. Κι όμως, οι οδηγίες για την συμπλήρωση της φορολογικής δήλωσης από την Αμερικανική IRS (Internal Revenue Service)επιμένουν ότι "παράνομο εισόδημα, όπως χρήματα από την διακίνηση παράνομων ναρκωτικών, πρέπει να συμπεριλαμβάνεται στην φόρμα δήλωσης εισοδήματος 1040, γραμμή 21" !!!.



ΠΗΓΗ!: ...Anoixtomualos...: Οι 10 πιο παράξενοι φόροι στην ιστορία http://www.anoixtomualos.gr/2011/04/10_28.html#ixzz1TABjQpT

Αν φαίνεται ακατόρθωτο για μια κυβέρνηση να πείσει τους πολίτες να δηλώνουν όλα τα εισοδήματα τους στην εφορία, φανταστείτε πόσο τρελό είναι να τους λέει να δηλώσουν τα χρήματα που κέρδισαν από διακίνηση ναρκωτικών. Κι όμως, οι οδηγίες για την συμπλήρωση της φορολογικής δήλωσης από την Αμερικανική IRS (Internal Revenue Service)επιμένουν ότι "παράνομο εισόδημα, όπως χρήματα από την διακίνηση παράνομων ναρκωτικών, πρέπει να συμπεριλαμβάνεται στην φόρμα δήλωσης εισοδήματος 1040, γραμμή 21" !!!.



ΠΗΓΗ!: ...Anoixtomualos...: Οι 10 πιο παράξενοι φόροι στην ιστορία http://www.anoixtomualos.gr/2011/04/10_28.html#ixzz1TABjQpTq

FYROM or Macedonia?

On 18 July 2011 the United States House of Representatives published a Bill to authorise appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes. On pages 52-54 of the Bill it analyses the topic of FYROM, referring also to its relations with Greece. 

The text states : 

SEC. 807. LIMITATION ON ASSISTANCE TO THE FORMER 

16 YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA. 

17 (a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 

18 (1) Greece has demonstrated an enormous good 

19 will gesture in agreeing that ‘‘Macedonia’’ may be 

20 included in the future name of the Former Yugoslav 

21 Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) as long as that 

22 term is combined with a geographic qualifier that 

23 makes it clear that there are no territorial ambitions 

24 on the part of the FYROM with regard to the his-

1 torical boundaries of the Greek province of Mac-

2 edonia. 

3 (2) The FYROM continues to utilize materials 

4 that violate provisions of the United Nations-bro-

5 kered Interim Agreement between the FYROM and 

6 Greece regarding incendiary rallies, rhetoric, or 

7 propaganda, and United Nations-led negotiations be-

8 tween the FYROM and Greece have so far failed to 

9 achieve the longstanding goals of the United States 

10 and the United Nations to find a mutually accept-

11 able, new official name for the FYROM. 

12 (b) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con-

13 gress that all United States assistance to the FYROM 

14 should be conditioned on the FYROM’s willingness to en-

15 gage in meaningful discussions with Greece in accordance 

16 with United Nations Security Council Resolution 817. 

17 (c) LIMITATION.—The Secretary of State may not 

18 use funds authorized to be appropriated under this Act 

19 for programs and activities that directly or indirectly pro-

20 mote incendiary rallies, rhetoric, or propaganda by state- 

21 controlled agencies of the FYROM or encourage acts by 

22 private entities likely to incite violence, hatred, or hostility, 

23 including support for printing and publishing of textbooks, 

24 maps, and teaching aids that may include inaccurate in-

1 formation on the histories and geographies of Greece and 

2 FYROM. 

What is important is to see that, although the US has recognised (in 2004 with President Bush) FYROM as Macedonia, here it uses the term FYROM. The United Macedonian Diaspora published a leaflet, signed by Metodija A. Koloski (President) explaining that the Greek lobby in Washington is to be blamed for this, expressing in bold letters "Are we going to let the pro-Greek lobby in Washington, D.C. succeed?! NO!" 

However it is, from a Greek point, questionable how President Bush came to the conclusion that FYROM should be recognised as Macedonia. That being said it is again questionable how around 130 countries have accepted this name for the small Balkan state.   

Greece has shown up to now that it will not tolerate this historical false name and the fact that another country wishes to adopt part of Greek history. This was emphatically shown when the previous PM Konstantinos Karamanlis vetoed FYROM's acceptance within NATO in 2008 in Bucharest.  

For those who like history it is essential to express the following, which are issues supported by the Greek side and the international community, i.e. professors (even in FYROM) and people who have actually read a book or two.!

It is proven by historic documents and archaeological discoveries which can be found in all the history books and museums in Greece and around the world that ancient Macedonians were Greek. The most important archaeological discovery in Macedonia is the tomb of King Philippos II. It was excavated in Vergina, Greece in 1978, and it proves beyond any doubt the Greekness of Ancient Macedonia. All the finding are characteristic of the Greek culture and all the inscriptions are written using the Greek language. Among the discoveries of this tomb is the Vergina sun, which was the symbol that FYROM attempted to use on its flag, initially. 

According to historical books, including those analysing the Ecclesiastical History of the Slavs, the Slavs descended into the Balkan region not before the 6th century, long after ancient Macedonia was homogenized with the rest of Greece. This is evident through Byzantine sources explaining the relations between the Byzantine Empire and the new neighbours, i.e. the Slavic groups. They do not have any historical, cultural or linguistic ties with ancient Macedonia and they would be really foolish if they officially claimed that they did. There is no historic or archaeological evidence connecting them with ancient Macedonia. In any case occupying 25% of ancient Macedonia land does not give them the right to steal the Greek-Macedonian history and culture. The Macedonian civilization was part of the ancient Greek civilization. It is part of Greece's national inheritance and it cannot be used by anyone else. 

It is a shame that many countries have recognised FYROM as Macedonia, showing their ignorance to historical facts, making them non-reliable. I am sure England would not accept the Nazis state that Winston Churchill was German, or the USA would not accept its Founding Fathers being stolen by the Japanese. Why should Greece then accept this historical, cultural, linguistic and religious fallacy? However Greece is not the only country which has been bullied into this problematic relationship and status. Bulgaria is also a neighbouring country expressing its dissatisfaction. A paradigm is found here.

Teenage Carson, looking great after kyphosis surgery, shares a portion of her first book!

Clinic was great on Friday, seeing many families back for follow-up and a few new families.
I always like to ask my younger guests who are high school or younger “what do you want to be when you grow up”?
Over the years I’ve gotten all sorts of answers to that question.  Some of my younger guests who have been through scoliosis or kyphosis surgery share that their experience as a patient influence them to pursue a healthcare career.  That’s pretty cool, because that is how I got interested in serving as a surgeon from my experience as a patient as a teenager.

When I asked Carson that question in clinic on Friday, she told me that she wanted to be “a writer or a lawyer”
She then told me that she just finished writing her first book!  It is about assissins!

She gave me permission to share a chapter for you to check it out.  It is being reviewed by publishers now.

Hope you enjoy it.  Wow, Carson, you are a very gifted writer!!!! Thanks for sharing this.

Dr. Lloyd Hey
Hey Clinic

Chapter 1: Seventeen Months Before

“The target’s arrived at the extraction point.” Ryan said, watching the girl get out of the car from behind the thick, burgundy curtain of the window. Her blond hair was whipping in the wind, a scowl still engraved on her face from earlier that day. A lazy smile crossed Ryan’s face. She was arguing with her mother about something as she slung a heavy-looking backpack over her shoulder. Homework she’d never turn in.

“You are ready, I presume?” The man on the other end of the line said icily.

“Of course.” Ryan said, striving to keep the irritation at being asked from his voice. “We’ve been ready for the past three days.”

“I should hope so.” The other man said in a voice like the Arctic wind, cold and cutting. “What of the brother?” A shadow slid over Ryan’s face. Yes, there was a problem indeed. He always hated pleading excuses, but sometimes they were necessary.

“He’s coming over at six.” Ryan reported. There was a silence on the phone for the space of a few heartbeats.

“Proceed with the extraction before he gets there, then.” The other man ordered.

“We could wait until tomorrow. It would give us a little more time to get away.” Ryan suggested lazily. The girl had gone inside the house, slamming the door behind her. There was another silence, this one lasting for several seconds as the other man considered this option.

“No.” He said at last, his voice decisive. “Your transportation is already scheduled. It would take far too long to find another way for you to get out of the country. Extract the target before the brother gets there, Ryan.”

“And collateral damage?” Ryan said, refusing to feel slighted. The man laughed.

“You know how we feel about that. No delays, Ryan.” The other end of the line went dead, and Ryan sighed.

“Yes, sir.” He muttered to empty air, rolling his eyes and slipping the phone back into his pocket. “Oi, Dom!” He called, wandering back into the kitchen and away from the window. His partner was at the table cleaning a Glock 17, his large hands capably handling the gun’s disassembled components.

“What?” He asked irritably, not turning away from the gleaming black pistol. Ryan grinned at him.

“The place is clean, yes?” He asked.

“Completely. No fingerprints, too little DNA for anybody to run tests, and absolutely no ID left laying around, as per instructions. Has been for the last three days. Why?” Ryan grinned again.

“We move. In two hours.” Dom did look up then, a small worry spot creased between his brown eyes.

“At five? What about the brother? Did you tell him about the brother?” Ryan tapped the phone barely showing in his jeans’ pocket meaningfully.

“Apparently, we can’t afford a delay.” Dom sighed, and Ryan quickly added, “But the parents are still ours. Think you can take them out in ten minutes?”Dom rolled his eyes, turning back to his pistol.

“Could do it in five,” He boasted. Knowing him, Ryan didn’t doubt it for a second. “The sooner we get this done, the sooner we get paid and go home. Six months on stakeout is far too long to be away.”

“Well, we’ll be back soon.” Ryan said comfortably, stretching against the doorframe. Dom grinned, his teeth a white flash against his dark skin.

“I can’t wait.”



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Sam dialed his parents’ house number and waited patiently for someone to pick up the phone. He had time to wait: the drive from Virginia to Raleigh, North Carolina was long by anyone’s standards, especially for a frequent commute. A familiar young female voice came on the line. “Sam?” His name had just the barest hint of a question hanging on it.

“Hey, Jamie.” Sam said. “How’d you know it was me?”

His sister laughed. “Caller ID ratted you out again.” She informed him. “Wanna talk to Mom?”

“No, you’ll do.” He teased.  “What are you guys doing?”

“I’m busy lying in wait for you.” Jamie said. “Mom’s making a casserole, and Dad’s in the kitchen with her, giving her advice. I give him three minutes to live.” Sam laughed. Their father and mother couldn’t stand to share the kitchen with the other.  

“How’s school?” Sam asked. It had begun to rain, the windshield quickly becoming freckled with water droplets. Sam flicked on his windshield wipers, but their steady thud didn’t hide the small sigh Jamie gave.

“It’s fine.” She sighed. Sam frowned. He didn’t have to watch her facial expressions to know she was lying.

“Are you okay? And be serious this time, Jamie.”

“My calculus homework’s murdering me.” She said casually. “I think they bumped me up a level too high this time.” Sam frowned. He doubted that his sister’s problem was with her homework. She had skipped first, third, and fifth grade and was, at his parent’s last report, excelling with almost all AP-level classes. She was following in his footsteps, alright, and Sam definitely recalling his footsteps leading him into a horde of boys with something to prove.

“It’ll do you good to struggle with math with the rest of the mortals for a year.” He told her, resolving to get more information about the way Jamie was dealing with school from a more reliable source, also known as his mother.

“I’ll just finish it when you get here and can help me.” Jamie said. “Speaking of which, Mom wants me to ask you your ETA. Something about keeping dinner hot.” Her tone wasn’t accusatory, but Sam winced anyway.

“Maybe thirty minutes.” He calculated quickly, accelerating slightly so his estimate would only be short five minutes. He heard the muffled sounds of Jamie relaying the message through the phone, and his fingers tightened on the steering wheel as he stared at the road through the now-pouring rain. He hadn’t seen his family for close to four months now. Jamie returned to the phone, dragging him back to their conversation and away from his melancholy thoughts.

“Where were we?” she said happily. “Oh, wait, calculus. Change of subject, please. How’s the FBI? Is catching criminals hard? Is your boss a sadist?” Sam smiled faintly at his sister’s eager questions, her speech accelerating as she thought of more.

“You know, I think I should wait until I’m face-to-face with you to have this conversation. Security and all that.”  It was fun to make her wait. Knowing Jamie, she’d be about to explode.

“Loser.” Jamie said absently. “Could you hold that thought? Somebody rang the doorbell, and Mom’s busy with the casserole right now.” Sam felt an irrational twinge of foreboding.

“Jamie, Dad is home, right?” Jamie laughed.

“Don’t worry, brother dear. Both of our darling parents are here, courtesy of your homecoming. Ugh, Dad really needs to fix this deadbolt. It sticks- every- time-” Sam rolled his eyes as he listened to the sounds of Jamie struggling with the door.

“Remember, you push in, and then you turn it.” He reminded her patiently. It didn’t matter that he didn’t actually live with his parents anymore. Sam was the type of person who remembered details with an irritating and unfailing accuracy.

“Got it!” she crowed. “Knew it was just a matter of-” Her voice disappeared, followed by the loud clatter that meant she had dropped the phone. Sam pushed down that twinge of unease again. She had dropped the phone before this, and would probably do so again.

“Jamie?” He said patiently, just before a desperate shriek came over the phone.

“Sam, call 911! Call them no-” The cell phone went dead in Sam’s hand.

“Jamie!” Sam shouted into the useless phone. He pulled it away from his ear long enough to jab three numbers in as his mind worked with cool efficiency. His sister would have been standing right inside the door… And Sam felt the cold slickness of fear sliding over him, the awful certainty that something had gone terribly awry.

“911, what’s your emergency?” answered a cool female voice after what seemed like ages. Sam spat his parents’ address into the phone, then hung up. He revved the engine of his Dodge Charger as he pushed it to a speed far over the limit. It was one of the models of car used by the NC Highway Patrol. It could handle it.

He only prayed that he wouldn’t be too late.



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Ryan waited patiently on the front porch, the brisk November wind ruffling his cropped hair and tugging at Dom’s jacket. He breathed in deeply as he depressed the doorbell, sending oxygen to every cell in his body in preparation of the coming extraction. Not that he expected much of a challenge from either the target or her parents. No, it was the brother Ryan was concerned about. If this took too long, he might manage to arrive before they were clear, and they certainly didn’t have time for a firefight. The deaths of two Vitas agents were already laid at the man’s doorstep, after all.

The girl opened the door, a portable house phone held to her ear with one hand. Ryan swore silently at this unexpected complication and fired the dart gun in his hand as Dom snatched the phone away from her. Dom tossed the phone down onto the porch and darted past the girl into the house, his freshly-cleaned gun already in his hand. The girl recovered quickly, given her age and the sedatives that were being pumped into her by the dart residing in her carotid artery.

“Sam, call 911!” She screamed. “Call them now!” Ryan smiled as he stomped on the fallen phone, crushing it, before stepping towards her and closing the door behind him. She tried to run, much to Ryan’s amusement. He grabbed her wrists in a blur of speed as the muffled blasts of a silenced gun ensued from the room Dom had disappeared into. The kitchen, if Ryan recalled correctly.

The girl twisted her wrists, sinking her all of her nails into the tender flesh near Ryan’s veins with enough force to draw blood. He swore with pain, not bothering to stay silent now that he knew the parents were taken care of. The sedatives weren’t working as well as he’d hoped: he’d have to use the syringe on her soon. She tried to kick him, and Ryan lost his remaining patience.

“Dom!” He yelled. His partner reappeared, a smile easing over his face. At the sight of him, the girl redoubled her clawing. Strange, Ryan mused distantly. She hasn’t screamed once since I grabbed her. Dom caught the girl’s wrists easily enough as Ryan shoved her towards him.

“You can’t even knock out one kid?” Dom muttered, spinning the girl around so she was facing him, her back to Ryan. Ryan ignored his jibe, retrieving a leather case from his pocket and pulling a hypodermic needle out of it. He slid it into her carotid artery with the ease of long practice. She yelped in pain, shuddering as the cold tranquilizers poured into her blood. Her frantic struggles were already slowing. Ryan withdrew the needle, slipping it back into its case and pocketing it before motioning for Dom to release the girl. He did so, and she fell forwards, doing nothing to cushion her fall. Dom laughed as Ryan scooped her up in his arms.

“Lights out.” He said, his dark eyes dancing merrily. “And with seven minutes to spare, too.”



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It was pouring when Sam pulled up to his parents’ house and saw the flashing lights of several squad cars. The police had beaten him there. He jumped out of his car, running to the house.

A policeman grabbed him before he entered, stopping him. Sam tried to push past him, and the officer frowned. “Sir-”

“My family’s in there.” Sam snapped. “Are they okay?” The man’s face tightened, and he looked away. Sam’s stomach dropped. “No.” he whispered. “Please, what about my sister?”

“There was a girl?” The officer said, surprised. “I’m sorry, sir. We haven’t found her yet. Were you the one who placed the 911 call?” Sam nodded, feeling numb as he stared through the rain at the house. Jamie… “Sir, could you answer a few questions for me?”

They still hadn’t found her seven hours later when they had finished processing the crime scene and put out an APB. Sam was sitting on the porch steps when the officer who had stopped him first approached.

“Maybe she got away.” The officer said, sounding like he didn’t believe his own consolations. Sam laughed harshly. He was in the FBI. It was possible, but only just. And Jamie would’ve been standing right in front of whoever killed his parents. The man paused, hesitant. “Mr. Silven, I need you to come and identify your parents’ bodies.” Sam sighed and got up. It was procedure, nothing more and nothing less. He loathed procedure right now.

Jamie was gone. And there was nothing he could do about it.

Winged Sandals

Want to learn more about Classical mythology, ancient Greek history and the main heroes who formed the ancient world? A site created by the Melbourne University and ABC staff is the "Winged Sandals". 

Here one can find stories and games which were deliberately chosen to represent three realms: the Gods who live on Olympus, the mortals and monsters who occupy the Earthly Realm and the dead who live in the Underworld. Hermes, who is the navigator and messenger God, is the only character who flies between the realms. 

The ultimate vision was to create a website which would inform, educate and entertain. Winged Sandals has animated stories, interactive games and an on-line version of the Delphic Oracle all presented with a focus on entertaining and engaging young audience. Although being primarily targeted for children aged 6-12, it is a site which adults can also enjoy and learn a plethora of facts about the Classical World. 

Daily air travel

This is a very interesting video showing the daily global air travel. Its fascinating to see where most aeroplanes travel too and which countries cater for most of the air traffic in the world, on a daily basis.!

Alternative London Underground Maps

London Underground is the largest one in the world. It carries more than one billion passengers a year. Statistically speaking it makes around 3.5 million journeys on a daily basis, having 11 lines and 270 stations. The Underground is currently running more services than ever before on the 140 year old network. 

One of its main features and iconic images is its map, which even frequent travellers need in order to get from A to B. Harry Beck is the designer of the original and widely used tube map, however he has not depicted the stations geographically but schematically. That is why Mark Noad has created a new geographical version of the map, showing all stations in positions closer to their actual locations. Even the River Thames has a more realistic shape. However it seems a bit "rough" and messy, unlike the schematic map used by London Underground.  

This of course is not the only alternative tube map. One simple and straight to the point map is that shown here, helping tourists understand what is where, mainly the few key attractions in order to get a brief glimpse of London.    

A very interesting map is the one below, showing exactly which stations and lines are underground and which parts are overground. Someone who takes the tube often knows these facts, but its quiet ironic to see how nearly 50% of London Underground is actually overground. 

These are merely a few odd maps, copying the original and official one used by TFL. We can only wait and see if artists and sketchers will use their imagination to draw crazier tube maps.  

Personal Sculpture

Recently I went to a friend's house and talked about art and future exhibitions. He is Alexis Kapraras, who is a painter, sculptor and icon painter. He is going to have an exhibition soon and he told me that he wanted to make a man's sculpture.

I offered to help him, although I think he helped me more in many ways. 

I saw this as an opportunity of being a 'model' for an artist. I mainly wanted to see how art is created, what the artist goes through in order to achieve his goal, how long this process takes. It was a life experience for me.

Here I will post various pictures from this personal experience in order to show the progress of this sculpture. 

Alexis, our sculptor, is originally from Cyprus. He currently lives in London with his family. The whole process took place at his house.

Alexis began using wood, clay, a stand, nails, plaster, water, soap and measuring tools (used for thousands of years). He had to be really precise with his measurements. He used simple materials which get the job done and which have been tried and used since the beginning of art!

It is interesting to point out that the whole process took about 25 hours, including the breaks we took, meaning having a cider, some ice cream, crepes, bits and bobs and a chat with Alexi, his wife Athena who is also an artist, Poly (their son) and various friends. 

Of course the interesting part was when I helped with the plaster. It was a long but fantastic process. This part took place in the garden shed whilst listening to classical music. 

Alexis told me that when he is in the shed finalising the sculptures he can only listen to classical music, which you have to be there to understand why. In the mess of the materials there is a calming motion and a sense of creativity.  

Before finalising with the plaster, the clay was inevitably destroyed, reminding me of the Mandala, the Buddhist art which when created is quickly destroyed. However in this case we retain the form through the plaster. 

Using two types of plaster, Alexis slowly chipped of the outer layer of the cast. Slowly but gradually we had the final apocalypse of my head. Whilst it was still clay, I have to confess, I wanted to punch it. This of course changed when I saw the plaster sculpture appear. 

The end result, I am sure everyone will agree, is great and is an exact copy of my head. The details are magnificent and evident. Now all I can do is wait for the coming exhibition and see how Alexis will use this sculpture.

I would just like to thank Alexi for this great experience he gave me and hope that all goes well with the coming exhibition.