The Golden Globe Awards are taking place today at the Beverly Hilton. Two of the nominees that may walk away with the little Golden Statue are of Greek descent. However, Yani Begakis a.k.a Mr. Golden Globes won’t be around tonight to cheer up his famous friends. Yani passed away last August unexpectedly after coming back from a trip to London for the premiere of “Mamma Mia”. Originally a Greek from Istanbul, Yani came to the US as a poor immigrant, and managed to become one of the most successful journalists in Hollywood. He was elected President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association five times, in addition he served as vice president and secretary. In his last interview he talked about his life with the stars, his homeland and mentioned how much he would like to be present in this year’s Golden Globe Awards.
Evangelos Goulas was born in United States and moved to Greece with his parents at a young age, but sometime after High School he moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream into studying motion pictures and television, and make his own movies. Even though he is not quite there yet, his other love , music , is opening doors for him. Evangelos (that is writing for Greekreporter every now and then) started experimenting with electronic music at a young age, today he is composing on his favorite Macintosh and he’s known in Greek and foreign on-line communities with the nickname “sybex”.
Last week he released his first cd single “Cantus Astralis” (chanting star) that you can buy from iTunes Store .
It’s a fresh work and should get the attention of those who like electronic music.
Dora Maslavanou’s “COMING AS A FRIEND”, Special Jury Orpheus Award recipient at LAGFF 2008, will inaugurate a series of monthly screenings on January 16th at the Little Theater on the Fox Studio lot.
Dora Masklavanou’s second feature film takes place in a small mountainous Greek village, and revolves around the forbidden love that develops between a small-time crook who just got out of jail and a woman trapped in a passionless marriage. Whereas she has made peace with her hard-living and lonely days, he is determined to start anew. As they begin to see their own fears and dreams in one another, they soon discover that breaking away from the past in not that easy.
The film was shot in the mountains of Etoloakarnania near the city of Arta, in the villages of Menidi, Chrissopigi, Theriakissi, Agia Triada, Komboti, Xalkiopoulo and Katharovouni, and around the sea of Amvrakikos.
JANUARY 16th, 2009 – 7:30 PM
Little Theatre Fox Studios
10201 W. Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90064 (Century City)
The famous composer of Greek decent, Alexander Desplat and the Greek American Tina Fey of “30 Rock” are in this year’s list of nominations for a Golden Globe Award.
Alexander Despla composed the music for the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” starring Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchet. Two years ago he was awarded a Golden Globe for the music in the movie “The Painted Veil”.
Tina Fey starring on the TV series “30 Rock” for which she writes the script as well, is among the nominees for a Golden Globe for the Best Actress in a comedy TV series, which she won last year.
Golden Globe Awards will be aired live from Beverly Hills this Sunday Jan 11 2009 at 8pm on NBC network.
As you enter the Park Hill PAL Gym you can sense the energy and the commitment in the air. At times you can catch the lean and determined ex-detective/boxer Thomas Dades in the center ring. Thomas Dades is only a volunteer at the gym put a staple in the community. He has made major strides on “the street” as well as in the ring.
Thomas a son of Greek-Italian parents grew up around the rough and tough streets of Brooklyn and learned quickly the importance of loyalty. He decided at an early age of which road to follow. The two roads available were either the straight and narrow or the road of crooked promises. He would go on and become a decorated officer for the New York Police Force. Thomas became a household name for local gangsters who he pursued.
Thomas has been involved with the force for at least twenty three years. He landed his spot in law enforcement after taking one of many civil service tests. “I took a few and the police department’s test came through first and I jumped at it.”
He served in the narcotics division where he did everything from buying drugs on high and low levels to various other felonies. “Being an undercover cop for those three years was exciting.”
His good work earned him his promotion to detective around 1986-1987. After he was promoted to 3rd grade detective he was assigned to a detective squad. That squad the 6-8 covered areas like Bay Ridge and Dyker Heights. He was stationed there for eight years. He soon was promoted to 2nd grade when he was there. They focused on everything from harassment to homicide but there main goal was organized crime. Thomas also had the pleasure of coming in contact with another decorated detective Joseph Pistone. “What Joe did was amazing. He gave many years of his life to do the job he did.”
Joseph Pistone became an undercover cop back in the 80’s where he infiltrated the Bonanno crime Family. His testimony landed many wiseguys in jail. Joseph sacrificed a lot to accomplish what others feared to do.
Thomas who worked on the Eppolito- Caracappa case did find some individuals who disliked his concerted effort with the case. He explained how some people would have liked it better if he closed an eye to it. But he actually developed great satisfaction in being apart and seeing the case through. On December 5th, 2008 both of the so called “mafia cops” were sentenced.
The mafia as we know it and have come to know it is no where what it use to be. It is evident coming from Thomas’ experience and knowledge. “It will never really go away but it will never be what it once was. There were reasons that guys went that way. Sometimes life did not offer anything better, today, the kind of candidates are not the same quality.”
Presently, Thomas has been busy working out the kinks of a new book documenting the case of Louis Eppolito and Steven Caracappa. The book which is entitled “Friends of the Family” is due out next year. Besides the novel a film detailing the story is in pre-production. It is being produced by the company “29/29” and directed by John Hillcoat.
The film will chronicle the events leading up to the conviction of the so called “mafia cops”. Thomas was a driving force in the case and spearheaded the investigation. The film is due some time in 2009-2010. The book which is being released by Harper Collins was penned by well renowned author David Fisher.
Besides working diligently on both projects Thomas is also a supporter and leader in the world of boxing. His grandfather was a huge fan of boxing as well as being one and he inspired Thomas to be involved. At six years old Thomas began to show interest. His grandfather’s boxing name was “Blackie”. He fought on the Lower East side of Manhattan on Cherry Street.
Thomas would go on to box on an amateur level. He had a total of 60 bouts. “I had about sixty fights, from smokers to tough man contests to Police Team fights.”
During his time in boxing he has come across many notable boxers like: Gary Stark Jr, Nicky DeMarco, Junior “Poison” Jones, Anthony Camarano, Terrence Meyers and Nwatchi. He ran the Park Hill for five years with Gary Stark Jr. he currently is involved with the DeMarco Boxing Gym. Besides being aligned with Gary Stark Jr. he is presently working with another supporter of boxing Pat Russo.
Since being apart of the DeMarco Boxing gym he has offered his guidance to aspiring boxers. At the 2009 Golden Gloves he will be there to support and aide others yet due to certain injuries inflicted from boxing he is limited in what he can do.
His son Frankie is also involved in boxing as he followed in his father’s footsteps. “My son has been involved for about two years and is doing well. Is a great way for father and son to bond.”
Thomas also admits that coming from a dual ethnic background has helped his way of thinking. “Being raised around both cultures is valuable. It shapes you in many ways be it Greek or Italian.”
Thomas’ main goal in boxing is to help younger kids focus on their commitment to the sport. “It centers on dedication, sportsmanship, education and confidence. It comes with the sport. A strong mind only delivers a strong body.”
Even though Thomas did not receive many accolades from his fellow officers he did receive glowing words from former champ. Peter Spanakos. “He is a strong willed person and an example of commitment and loyalty to his work and to the sport.”
In time Thomas will not only be spoken of at boxing gyms and Police stations but also in what has been coined “tinsel town”, Hollywood that is.
Greeks and singles from other ethnic groups worry about how they could meet companions that share the same culture and traditions in our multicultural world, especially in countries like the USA and Australia. Said Amin, a young entrepreneur originally from Iran who finishes his emails with a “life is good” signature, had the same frustrations when he was single. He tried to meet people that share his culture, then he turned it into a business. Starting from his fellow Iranians he created an empire of online dating services that targets Greeks, Italians, Arabs and other ethnic groups. His company World Singles, LLC operates seven different ethnic online dating websites, among them Eligiblegreeks.com, the largest Greek online dating website. We met him at his new office in Orange County, California took pictures of him, and asked him why he wanted to mess with the Greeks.
When did you start your company and why?
It all started as a hobby back in the late in the year 2000; it became my full time job 2001. As a kid, I always had an entrepreneurial spirit selling candy, t-shirts and various knick-knacks. The Internet became my canvas to express this spirit.
Considering the humble beginnings of the company, it is amazing what we have accomplished. The company was founded in my basement with a mere $10,000 investment and now reaches millions of people across the world.
How did your family and friends react to your business journey (personals) in the beginning?
Friends were skeptical but intrigued. My mother on the other hand was sick to her stomach with worry. Like many parents, she is risk adverse and the idea of her son making a living from the Internet just did not make sense. Moreover, the Internet bubble was bursting and I had a cozy job at a Fortune 500 company so the thought of leaving a secure job for the unknowns of being an internet entrepreneur seemed like professional suicide to her.
Do you consider yourself the average Iranian? (culturally)
I guess this is open to interpretation for how one defines the “average Iranian”. I lived in Iran for 3 years and France for 5 years before moving to the US. I’ve adopted what I deem to be the best attributes of Iranian, French and American cultures. My general attitude is to take the best of all cultures. I have visited 20 countries to date and I hope to double this number during my lifetime.
How did you come up with EligibleGreeks.com?
EligibleGreeks.com was the second dating site that I started. I saw a void in this market, specifically for the Diaspora, and moved in quickly to fill it. The rest is history…
Why this domain name?
It was one of the few domains available, but more importantly it was to the point; Greeks that are eligible. Many of the site names I coveted were already registered and too expensive for me to buy.
How many people have profiles in EligibleGreeks.com?
We have several 100,000 members and are currently the most visited dating site for Greeks worldwide.
Yes, we do and now EligibleGreeks.com is also in Greek. We have recently grown our staff in Greece and will continue to ramp up marketing efforts through 2009.
Have you ever been there?
I went to Athens and Mykonos last summer. What an amazing country! Given our expanding marketing efforts in Greece and all the fun waiting for me there, I am planning a trip back to Greece in the next few months. Greeks know how to live; they seem to live life to the fullest today and are not waiting for tomorrow. I definitely dig that energy.
Are you good at dating? (Online and in real world)
Meeting people online was definitely easier for me than meeting people in the “real world”. When you are busy, it is not so easy to meet people. The Internet absolutely increased my opportunities to be more social and date. I mean, it’s so easy, you check out a member’s profile, exchange a few emails, talk on the phone and meet up.
Was I good at dating? Well, I certainly would not consider myself a dating professional like “Hitch”, but I was good enough to eventually meet my match…online of course =)
What could you say about the behavior, patterns etc of (the members of) EligibleGreeks.com in comparison to people to your other ethnic sites.
Compared to some of our other ethnic sites, EligibleGreeks.com is generally speaking more liberal and expressive. Dating online is not as taboo for Greeks as it is for some other cultures that we cater to. A great sign of the sites popularity and acceptance is seen in the many member testimonials we receive and post on the site. On some of our other sites, members are not as comfortable sharing their success stories publicly.
Describe yourself using five adjectives.
Oh boy, you should ask somebody else for a more honest and objective opinion, but since you asked…
Honest
Compassionate
Self-aware
Driven
Dreamer
What do you usually do in your free time?
Free time? What’s that?! Just kidding…I go to the gym regularly, hike and occasionally kayak. I like to play pranks too; it helps keep me loose.
What is your biggest dream? (personal life and career)
I am passionate to evolve as a human being and be a more conscious person. Professionally, I dream of lots of things; expanding NicheClick Media’s reach to new online verticals, making our existing sites more useful for our members and creating new online services that have a positive impact on people’s lives. I take my dreams seriously and that is why much of what I envision comes to fruition in some way, shape or form.
What did you study?
I studied 1001 ways to miss most of my classes. Gosh, I was such a lazy college student. I graduated with a degree in International Affairs from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Describe your average day if you can.
What the average day has in spades is lots and lots of analyzing and thinking time. Whether in bed, in the shower, driving or at work, I am always thinking of how our sites and the Internet in general, can empower people.
How many hours per day (average) are you in front of a computer, i-phone or pda?
Oh gosh, probably 12 or 13 hours a day. The nice thing is that between my Internet card, wi-fi, Blackberry and i-Phone I can be mobile, plugged in to what is going on and get work done. I’m a bit of an obsessed Internet freak. Luckily, my girlfriend is ok with it.
*About NicheClick Media:
NicheClick Media is passionate about niche online destinations and the opportunity to connect, inform, entertain and empower people. It operates as an incubator for ideas, and own leading e-commerce, community and communications services for many ethnic verticals.
The online personals business, World Singles, LLC currently enjoys a leadership position serving the Arab, Albanian, Armenian, Ethiopian, Greek, Iranian and Turkish Diasporas, with expansion plans set to include Greece, Turkey and the Middle East.
The company was founded in 2005 by serial Internet entrepreneur Saïd Amin and maintains its headquarters in Aliso Viejo, CA.
*About World Singles:
World Singles, LLC (WorldSingles.com) manages and maintains niche online personals sites, such as EligibleGreeks.com, ArabLounge.com, IranianPersonals.com, ItalianoSingles.com, TurkishPersonals.com, AlbanianPersonals.com and HyeSingles.com.com (Armenian community). World Singles provides a safe, fun and relaxed environment where compatible singles can share thoughts, opinions, laughs and friendship.
“Underbelly” director Peter Andrikidis of Greek descent broke the rules and changed Australian television.
Peter Andrikidis brought Australian drama back and swept the television categories of the Australian Film Institute Awards (AFI) 2008. Underbelly based on Melbourne gangland wars won six of the eight Awards it was nominated for, including Best Drama Series and Best Direction in television.
The director said that Australian television was looking good in the post-Underbelly world. Underbelly did not afraid to change the standard. It spoke fearlessly about sex and violence. As a result, two million people came to watch.
Peter Andrikidis graduated from the Australian Film Television and Radio School in Film Direction in 1981. He was immediately recruited to Crawford Productions, where he directed numerous drama productions.
Soon, he moved to the ABC to work as director and producer on the medical drama series GP, which earned him his first AFI Award.
This was followed by the groundbreaking police drama series Wildside, which the director considers as his greatest directing achievement. Two of the episodes that Andrikidis directed won a total of eight AFI Awards.
Grass Roots written by Geoffrey Atherden was his next series, that won seven AFI Awards, including Best Direction.
Peter Andrikidis has also directed a number of mini-series and telemovies, which have won numerous Awards in Australia and overseas. These included the real life dramatisations My Husband My Killer, Heroes’ Mountain and the adaptation of a novel by Bryce Courtney called Jessica.
In 2004/5 Peter Andrikidis directed five BlackJack telemovies for the Ten Network, featuring Colin Friels solving cold crime cases.
In 2006 he directed the $15 million dollar Granada-ITV co-production The Incredible Journey of Mary Bryant with Romola Garai, Jack Davenport and Sam Neill. This screened to eight million viewers in the UK. It won an AFI, a Logie, a New York Festival Award for Best TV Mini-series and a Silver Plaque for Best Direction at the Chicago Awards. In April 2006 he was voted one of the Top Ten Directors in Encore Magazine’s Celebration of the Industry’s Finest. The list included Baz Luhrmann, Gillian Armstrong, Phillip Noyce and Rolf De Heer. He was also awarded a Centenary Medal for Outstanding services to Australian Society and Film Production in 2003. He has a reputation for getting excellent performances from actors and bringing exciting visual flair to each production he undertakes.
Peter Andrikidis is currently directing the SBS mini-series East West 101, a drama about what it means to be Muslim in Australia after September 11, 2001. The cast includes Don Hany, William McInnes and Susie Porter.
The Holiday anti-climax in the U.S. pi**** a lot of people off. The first holiday anti-climax wave comes right after Christmas day and the second hits on January 1st. North Americans feel cheated. “That was it?”, they keep asking themselves. All this fuss, the sales, the marketing frenzy…for what? One lousy day? Ok, two lousy days? Can’t blame anyone feeling this way. However, Greek-Americans, have it a different way.
Today is St John’s day. So HRONIA POLLA Giannides! Yesterday was Ta Fota! A huge deal and a national holiday in Greece. And for those who wonder, yep, kids still sing the Fota Carrols in Greece. Even in Eleftherios Venizelos Airport stores in front of surprised young clerks that never heard of this particular brand of Carrols before!
Holidays & the holiday spirit is a die-hard state of mind for Greeks. Some people claim the holidays don’t officially end till St Thanassis day on January 18. I’d say, it is naturally so! This year let’s push it up till inauguration day. Or better, till the end of January. Not sure if it’s my American optimism or my Greek craziness but these holidays I’m feeling no after-holiday stress whatsoever….!
Keep the holiday smiles coming people…it helps keep recession nerves down and incessant positivism up. And that never hurt anyone.
Twenty Greek candidates were elected in the Victorian local elections of 2008. Α record number of 67 candidates of Greek descent had been nominated.
Arthur Athanasopoulos was elected Mayor of Kingston and he will be working closely with Steve Staikos, the other Greek in the Council.
In the Council of Mooney Valley Ange Kenos was elected Councillor for the first time. “I want to go out there and see what the Greek community needs”, he noted. Cr Ange Kenos pointed out that at least five Greek clubs are operating in Mooney Valley and promised to support those clubs as much as possible.
In the City of Hume Cr Helen Patsikatheodorou is determined to make sure that the local residents are heard. “Every second Saturday of the month I will make myself available in some accommodation provided by the city to hear resident’s problems”, she emphasised.
Cr Stephen Dimopoulos who was re-elected in the City of Monash stated that his first priority will be the implementation of a Multicultural Policy Initiative. Stephen Dimopoulos intends to extend the provision of city services such as the meals on wheels to more non-English speaking residents of Monash. Additionally, he expressed his commitment to the pursuit of environmental policies. In the Council of Monash, another Greek, Paul Klissaris was elected as Mayor.
Two former Mayors were also re-elected, John Koutras in the City of Whitehorse and Sam David in the City of Brimbank. Cr Sam David said that he would seek a capping of the rates for certain pensioners in Brimbank. Currently rates are evaluated every two years. The Mayor wants to propose a five year period for those pensioners in greatest economic need.
Jason Calacanis, one of the best brains of the Internet industry who started the first human powered search engine, Mahalo.com, is talking exclusively about the future of the internet and his Greek background. Wikipedia states about Calacanis «Jason McCabe Calacanis (born November 28, 1970[1] in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York) is a Greek-Irish American Internet entrepreneur and former blogger. His first company was part of the dot-com era in New York, and his second venture capitalized on the growth of blogs before being sold to AOL. Calacanis founded Mahalo.com, a “human-powered search engine», which launched in alpha test in May 2007. »
What title would you give to yourself in regard to your career?
Entrepreneur.
What did you study and what was your career goals while at school?
Psychology was my major.
i wanted to get my PHD and work for the FBI
What do you think of the Greek Internet users and bloggers?
In my last trip i spent a lot of time with Greek bloggers and
entrepreneurs…. it’s a great scene that is just getting started. I
expect big things.
Did the Greek-American community support you and your business?
They’ve always invited me to parties and sent emails, so yes!
You had a newspaper and then you got into the Internet, how did this
happen?
I started a newsletter about my friends building websites… it got
really big because when I started it most folks were not on the
Internet!
Are newspapers dead?
in print, yes.
You were one of the first people that believed in blogs. This summer you
stopped blogging. Why?
I was looking to do something smaller and more intimate.
What is a blog? People call blogs huge sites with 50 different
writers and millions of visitors. Do you consider this still blogging?
I think a blog is a publication where there is no editor–or
editing–between the writer and the reader.
Do you think that in blogs people are practicing journalism? Are (anonymous)
blogs dangerous for journalism?
Some bloggers are adding journalism standards to their blogs, and some
journalist are becoming more blog-like. it’s a mixed bag.
What is your life like in an average day?
I wake up at 6/7am. I do email and read for three hours, then go to work, have lunch with the team, do a meeting or two, play with the product, teach Tae Kwon Do, taking my wife and dogs to dinner and then work for an hour or two.
How many hours per day (average) are you in front of a computer, i-phone or
pda?
16
What jobs did you have in your life until now?
Computer programmer, busboy and writer.
How did you come up with the idea for mahalo.com ?
I thought that search would be better if humans were involved… so i
built some pages and I came to the conclusion that i was right. 🙂
Are Internet videos the future of television, or TV stations will be
streaming their live program online? What do you think is the future of
Television and will it emerge into one with the Internet?
Television sets will download half their programming from the Internet
in the next five years, and folks will watch a lot of TV shows over
their iphone and laptops.
Do you think that we are moving to an era that all the info will be
transmitted only through the Internet? Is this dangerous? What about the
people who do not have Internet?
Everyone will have the Internet, and books will still exists. It’s a non-issue.
Wikipedia says that Mahalo has grown to have millions of users around the
globe. Is it profitable as well or not yet?
We haven’t started making money yet, but we’ll easily be able to reach
profitability in the next year or so.
Do you consider Mahalo a competitor of other non human search engines like
Google Yahoo etc, or a competitor of Wikipedia and Knol type of sites?
I think we’re somewhere between wikipedia and google.
Could you predict what is the big change that will happen in the future
because of the internet, if any?
People around the world will speak and read English perfectly by the
end of our lifetimes.
If you had one wish what will you ask for?
Global peace and understanding…. or a renewable energy source (which
would accomplish the same goal).
Evangelos Goulas was born in United States and moved to 
The famous composer of Greek decent, Alexander Desplat
Photography by 
By Mary Kouinoglou
photo credit: 
What is a blog? People call blogs huge sites with 50 different