Young Greek American Buys Hugh Hefner’s House

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Young Greek American Buys Hugh Hefner’s House

One lucky young businessman is moving in next door to the Playboy mansion. The Greek American Daren Metropoulos, an enterpreneur and the son of prominent businessman Dean Metropoulos, himself an acquisition guru.

The house is a hop away from the Playboy Mansion next door in Holmby Hills.

Daren Metropoulos paid $18 million for the home and will be moving in from nearby Beverly Hills.

Metropoulos originally intended to purchase the estate for the value of its 2.3 acres but now plans to keep the 7,300-square-foot English manor-style house.

The two-storey home, built in 1929, has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms and sits behind gates on a flat site that backs up to the Los Angeles Country Club.

There is a formal living room, a dining room, a library, his-and-her powder rooms and a media room with a film projector and screen that drops from the ceiling. Interior treatments include maple panels, leaded-glass windows and a hand-carved staircase. The master suite overlooks the gardens and grounds, which include a swimming pool.

Metropoulos, who has worked with his father and older brother Evan from a young age helping reinvigorate such US household brands as Chef Boyardee and Bumble Bee tuna, is a fan of muscle cars. The property includes a large motor court and a three-car garage where he can house his collection.

It had been listed since early March at $27.9 million but Metropoulos purchased it for almost $10 million less.

(With information from Everythingy.com)

Theophanous to launch action

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Theophanous to launch action

It has been reported that Theo Theophanous MP, after having charges dismissed on the rape case against him and not being committed for trial, will launch a parliamentary action that could result in the lawyer who prosecuted him being jailed.
Mr Theophanous will invoke the full powers of, traditional and rarely used, parliamentary privileges against prosecutor Michelle Williams, SC.
It was reported in The Sunday Age that Mr Theophanous has written to Legislative Council president Bob Smith asking him to forestall the other business of the House on Tuesday to give precedence to his motion alleging Ms Williams breached privilege when she used a parliamentary speech by Mr Theophanous from 2006, against him during his recent committal hearing.
If he succeeds in securing vote to motion to refer the matter to the privileges committee it will be the first time in 40 years that a question of privilege has been addressed by any forum of the upper house.
The committee has the power to reprimand, fine and on theory at least, jail Ms Williams for up to 15 months if it finds she breached the constitution.
Under Victoria State Constitution Act, MPs “shall hold, enjoy and exercise such and the like privileges, immunities and powers as at the 21st day of July 1855 were held, enjoyed and exercised by the House of Commons of Great Britain and Ireland.”
As part of this, is the right that politicians enjoy of being able to speak freely without fear that what they may say will later be held against them in the courts.
During the case Ms Williams read out a passage from one of Mr Theophanous’ parliamentary speeches in which he said that rape victims should be protected from questioning in court about their sexual history.
In his speech he said that the court could be “re-traumatising through the very process.”
Ms Williams accused Mr Theophanous’ lawyer, Robert Richter QC, through his questioning of a witness of, “flouting the intention of this legislation that was moved by his client.”
It has been reported in The Sunday Age that the Clerk of the Senate Harry Evans believed that this was a breach of privilege.

When Inspiration Fails…

Kristen Ross
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When Inspiration Fails…

There is nothing in the world I love more than acting and writing. Not chocolate, not a day at the beach, not even wine (and I like wine a lot). It wasn’t a decision I made one day, it just happened to me – like when someone falls in love. Even so I still have the occasional day when I just don’t feel like doing it.

When one of “those days” strikes, as they sometimes do, I wish the casting directors could understand – or the editor of that magazine who’s waiting for my new article. I wish that I could just roll over onto my side, stare at the sheet of paper or script lying beside me as if they were a faithful old partner and simply say, “Sorry honey, I’m just not in the mood right now.” Then perhaps the script could make a consoling gesture, something profound like patting me softly on the shoulder as if to say, “That’s ok, dear.” That’s never happened though; which isn’t to say I’ve lost hope or anything, just that perhaps my expectations are a bit unrealistic.

Yup, sometimes I just don’t want to. For example, I have an audition this weekend. In about forty-eight hours to be exact. My lines are sitting on my desk staring at me, bold little black sentences with the intermittent word in italics for emphasis, but I just can’t bring myself to learn them. Maybe it was when I found out that a bloodthirsty insect won’t be eating me in my first horror film, maybe (as the Greeks would say) it’s the weather the last couple of days; it doesn’t really matter. I’m down and out. If only I knew how to play the saxophone – it’s always seemed like an instrument that understands being down in the dumps. The only problem is that today I’m so lethargic I don’t know if I could find the strength to pick it up and press all those keys. Plus there’s all that blowing involved and that’s got to take an awful lot of stamina.

I wonder if people in other occupations ever feel this way? Surely they must. I’m certain that somewhere out there is a heart surgeon who’s rolling his eyes as he performs a transplant. Or a baker who would rather still be at that great party drinking a margarita instead of kneading out seven pounds of bread dough in an apron. I wonder who would win if we had a sighing competition? I’ve been doing it all day. Looking at this or that and just letting out a huge exhale. Pwwweeeeeeeh… Still nothing.

Normally, when days like these roll around I just give myself permission to sink into the couch with a bag of Cheesies and Pretty in Pink and try to recover my Mojo. After all, I am an artist and we always seem to be suffering from one condition or the other: melancholy, stomach cramps, alcohol poisoning. But around the time that Molly Ringwald tells Andrew McCarthy that she doesn’t want him to take her home after their first date Madonna pops into my head and I realize Madge has probably accomplished more in the last three minutes than I have all day. Suddenly I feel even worse.

I try visualization. Nothing. Positive thoughts. Nope. Going to get my favorite coffee at Starbucks – the one with all that delicious caffeine and chocolate – but it just gives me the shakes. A few more hours go by, I doodle in my notebook and walk around in circles on the carpet and then I see it. It’s a trailer for a movie – a movie I had auditioned for. I see the actress and I turn green. Once the trailer’s over it’s as if a magic spell has been reversed – my competitive streak is in full swing. I run upstairs to the office and pick up the pages thinking there’s nothing quite like a good old-fashioned dose of jealously to set things straight.

Ten minutes later my life has changed dramatically. My laundry is whirling in the washing machine, soon to be pressed and hung up like a prom dress waiting for the big day. I’ve highlighted my lines with my favorite yellow highlighter (the one I use only for my special auditions) and they’re actually sticking in my head. I even flopped onto the floor and did a few sit-ups for good measure. I feel like a new person, or at least a little bit of a better version of the same one.

Forty-two hours to go. Inspiration: affirmative.

Members of the Diaspora Eligible for Greek Parliament

A. Makris
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The Greek government announced that a new bill is in creation which will allow individuals from the Greek diaspora to become members of the Greek parliament. The new bill calls to increase the number of appointed Members of Parliment from the current 12 to 15. There will be a requirement that the three new spots are filled by members of the Greek diaspora.

The Minister of Interior Mr. Prokopis Pavlopoulos clarified in «To Vima» that the bill would require political parties to agree to increase the number of the appointed Members of Parliment from 12 to 15 so that the three additional seats be allocated to representatives of the diaspora. Therefore, as stated, the new bill will brought to the House would require the parties to place expatriates in positions in the candidate list of State. Mr. Pavlopoulos also made clear that it will maintain the main lines of the Bill presented before the European Parliament and which follows the requirements of Article 51 Paragraph 4 of the Constitution.

The right to vote will be extended to Greek nationals, people who qualify for citizenship but have not yet activated the process. Greek nationals are registered within the poplulation of Greece and therefore on the electoral roll. The elections will be conducted on a rolling basis in all countries that Greeks vote in, but the counting and announcement of results will be simultaneously released. Greek nationals will vote for combinations of parties and coalitions of parties which have been divided into lists of State and Territory. Each ballot will include three candidates who have demonstrated that they have lived abroad for a decade or more before the announcement and have the right to stand before the legislation’s elected Members.

The government has again rejected the proposals of opposition parties for the introduction of absentee voting for external constituencies. The rationale, as Mr. Pavlopoulos told «To Vima», is that the absentee vote cannot guarantee the secrecy and validity of the vote.

Technology continues to improve the voting system. The transmission of telgrams between the departments of the Ministry of Interior can now be conducted with mobile phones, this will allow a complete tally of percentages for each political party just two hours after the closure of the ballot boxes.

(Translated by Rachel Portele, source: ana/mpa)

Village Roadshow Leaves Greece

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In a statement published by Nasdaq.com, film producer and distributor Village Roadshow Ltd said it had sold its Greek cinema, film distribution and film production business.

The net cash proceeds from the disposal to an unnamed private European investor will be about $80 million, subject to exchange rate movements, Village said.

The sale of the Greek operations is subject to a number of regulatory approvals and third-party consents, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

(with information from Nasdaq.com)

Greek Weddings “Mamma Mia!” Style

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Greek Weddings “Mamma Mia!” Style

After the success of the movie “Mamma Mia!” tourists from all around the world are coming to the Greek Islands of Skiathos and Skopelos to enjoy the Aegean Sea and discover the beautiful beaches and traditional sites where the movie was filmed. Some others, though, are arriving single and departing married, trying to revive the story of Mamma Mia.

Ionian Weddings, a wedding agency from the UK, has even created packages for people who want to get married on the Greek islands “Mamma Mia!” style. The agency states on its website that “while 2008 was the year of Mamma Mia the film, 2009 is set to be the year of the Mamma Mia wedding. The irresistible feel-good factor of a Greek island wedding has captured the imagination of many brides-to-be.”

Since the big-screen release of the world famous ABBA stage show, requests for weddings in Greece have gone through the roof, said the mayor of Skiathos in an interview.

Locals estimate that the number of foreign couples who got or will get married at the island of Skiathos and Skopelos this summer may reach one thousand.

Ionian Weddings advertises that “they have placed the emphasis on the setting and ambience of the Mamma Mia wedding by offering chapels with stunning views and traditional taverna receptions suitably decorated with Candles, lanterns, ABBA music and optional donkey rides for the bride and groom.” They conclude by saying “Meryl Streep would be proud of this.”

(Photo Credit: Rachel Portele)

Greek Metropolis Appoints New Priest to Oakland Cathedral

A. Makris
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Rev. Father Thomas J. Zaferes will become Proistamenos of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension in Oakland, California. His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos announced that Father Tom’s first Divine Liturgy in Oakland will be on Sunday, September 13, 2009.

For the past 12 years, Father Tom served as proistamenos at Saint Sophia Greek Orthodox Church in Syracuse, NY. Father Tom led two Bible Study programs each week, a Men’s Study Group, and coordinated a Sunday Night Lecture Series featuring local Orthodox Clergy. The youth ministry at the parish included GOYA, JOY, Sunday School, Greek School, and an OCF chapter at Syracuse University.

Just prior to moving to Syracuse in 1991, Father Tom led a mission to Ghana where his team constructed a residence and offices for the church in the capital city of Accra. Upon his return, he continued his ministry at the parish of Saint Sophia in San Antonio, Texas, which was blessed with over 50 converts in a three-year period. Father Tom also served at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Chattanooga, TN, during which time the parish tripled in size from 36 to 115 steward families. Father Tom’s ministry began in the Metropolis of San Francisco in the summer of 1983 at Saint Nicholas in Northridge, California. While at Saint Nicholas, Father Tom worked with the GOYA, dance groups, youth basketball league, YAL, taught religion in the parochial school, and supervised building maintenance, in addition to his liturgical and sacramental responsibilities.

“I am excited to be returning to the west coast and am humbled to be following in the footsteps of Father [Thomas J.] Paris, who had a remarkable ministry in Oakland for so many years. The Parish Council and I share the vision and desire to continue accomplishing the work of the Church, bringing people closer to Christ and ultimately to salvation in Him,” stated Father Tom. “I am especially blessed to be serving under His Eminence Metropolitan Gerasimos, whom I met when I first arrived at the Seminary. He was always a joyful person, who we turned to for guidance and insight on our path to the Holy Priesthood. I know that I can continue to rely upon His Eminence as a spiritual father and mentor as I begin this new chapter in my ministry.”

Father Tom graduated from Holy Cross School of Theology in 1983, after completing his undergraduate studies in 1978 with a Composite Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and Theology from Hanover College in southeastern Indiana. He is blessed with a talented and loving wife, Presvytera Julie (Hourdakis), who is a registered nurse, and also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University – Northridge in Religious Studies. Father Tom and Presvytera Julie have four children – Demetri, Katerina, and twins Melissa and Christopher. Father Tom is an amateur photographer, football fan, and enjoys reading novels and biographies.

(August 7, 2009, press release of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco)

In the depths of Aghia Sophia

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Documentary specialist, Gkioksel Gulensoi, two divers and 4 speliologists, attempting to reach the myths and secrets of 1700 years under the church of Aghia Sophia managed to reach areas that until now, no one had ever managed to reach, according to the Turkish press.
The most impressive find of this “tour” in the tunnels 283 meters in depth, were the remains that are said to belong to canonized children buried there before the 13th century as well as Patriarch Athanasios who was buried at the same are 200 years later.
The divers and specialists explored the connection of the basins underneath Aghia Sophia with the aqueduct and the palace of Top Kapi. In addition they attempted to locate the secret tunnels from Tekfour Palace to the Islands.
The documentary, whose shooting began in 1998, was just recently completed due to budget difficulties, the required number of permits necessary and the works that are underway at the Museum of Aghia Sophia.
The 50-minute documentary “In the depts. Of Aghia Sophia” will officially begin participating in various international festivals in the fall.
source: voice of greece

Taste of the Danforth: North America’s Largest Greek Festival

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Toronto’s favourite street festival has a whole new way to celebrate the fun and flavours of Greece and summer in the city. Every year in August, the city of Toronto flocks to GreekTown on the Danforth. Celebrating its 16th year, the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth is Canada’s largest street festival, welcoming well over a million visitors. A Decima Research poll indicated that 90% of respondents identified “The Taste” as their favourite GTA festival event — beating out such iconic events as the Toronto International Film Festival, Caribana and Pride Week.

The GTA lays claim to more than 200,000 residents of Greek ancestry, the third largest Hellenic community outside of Greece, and between August 7th and August 9th, 2009, everyone who comes to the Danforth gets to be Greek for the day.

Singer and Aspiring Actor Sakis Rouvas Stars in “Duress”

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Singer and Aspiring Actor Sakis Rouvas Stars in “Duress”

Sakis Rouvas, the biggest pop singer in Greece, travels between Athens and Los Angeles with one goal; to see if he can act as well as he can sing. Rouvas took acting lessons and already has an agent in the entertainment capital of the world. He is trying to make the transition from being a singer in Greece to becoming an international actor. In his second acting attempt–his first was in the Greek production “Alter Ego”–he plays a killer in “Duress”. The thriller was shot in LA and premieres in US theaters on September 1st.

The story is about a parent, Richard, who is haunted by nightmares of his wife’s recent suicide and struggling to mend the relationship with his only daughter, who is caught as a witness to the violence of Abner Solvie. He finds himself at the mercy of the charismatic killer and plagued by his involvement in the city’s recent murders. As Abner’s new found protégé, Richard is forced to adopt the mind of his sociopathic mentor in order to protect the one he loves. Richard must decide if he’s willing to kill in order to keep his daughter alive.

Watch the trailer:

[youtube]B0U6K89_Byo[/youtube]

(With information from IMDB)

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