Blogging Sessions 1.0

Hello my fellow Voxers,

I know it's been a long time since my latest post. Being in hiatus has never been my intention, but things don't always come as we plan.

I believed that this year would be the year of my breakthrough. Yet, as we Greeks say, when a man is making plans, God laughs." I'm frustrated because the Navy occupies most of time. Every day I have to wake up at 5 am, and, by the time I'm home in the afternoon, I am so tired I can't find the strength to investigate an issue or blog about my daily thoughts and experiences.

I have never felt more unproductive in my life. Do I really feel that I am serving my country? Certainly not. Going to Salamina every day reminds of my friends who work in the public sector. The worst part is that I will have to be in this position for the next 9 months. On the other hand this is my last chance to figure out what I want to do with my life. I have plenty of time to think and decide what my next steps will be. I haven't still abandoned the idea of a second Master's degree or a PhD. For instance, tonigh I watched a 12-minute documentary on the Columbia Journalism School. It was such an inspiring video. It filled me with ideas and ambition. Yet, when the end's titles rolled, I was back in reality (I suddenly remembered my bank account).

Despite money and qualifications, I am still entitled to my own dreams where I succesfully pursue a world-class education followed by an aspiring career as an editor in the online media industry while living between New York and Athens and exploring the rest of the world.

Well, a man can only dream... 

Happy New Year my fellow Voxers,

it's been a while since my last (noteworthy) post. You can blame the Navy for that! Every morning I have to wake up at 5 am, drive for 40 minutes, catch the ferry to Salamina island, work for 7 to 8 hours and then go back home at around 4 pm. I sleep most of the afternoon and then catch up with my friends and of course sleep for 4 to 5 hours. Sometimes, I feel that 24 hours are not enough.

Last night, I took some time off from my social activities and browsed my favorite medium, the internet. Most of my browsing time was spent on "The Daily Beast", which is -for me- a worthy alternative to the "Huffington Post". Best part of the experience? Checking out the "Sites We Like" section. I'm expecting Harlot's Sauce Radio to appear on top of that list in the next months! And I have to add the "Cheat Sheet". Spend five minutes to read it every day and you are ready to go.

In the meantime, Gaza and the Greek riots have been keeping me busy these days. We are on a downward spiral and noone can reach the breaks. In Athens, we are expecting the riots to continue after tomorrow. I don't know if arson will be on the menu. I think that we played enough with fire. Now it's the time for the "social fighters" to set their goals clear and decide their "weaponry". If destruction continues, the majority of the Greek population will not be able to support their rightful cause; to ameliorate our society, politcal system and financial apparatus.

Yet, something awful happened two nights ago. Since the murder of Alexander Grigoropoulos, whose death sparked the current social revolt, there is a disturbing rumor hanging that things will reach a closure when a polica officer will die.

A group of people (that goes by the name Public Rage) attacked (with massive guns) the group of officers who protect the Ministry of Culture and one officer was badly injured. Right now, he is at the hospital fighting for his life. This is just brutal. Is death the solution? Certainly not. I always believed that the "eye for an eye" principle was behind us.

As for Gaza, I will later post a series of links to articles and videos regarding the war that goes on down there. The situation is extremely grave and international attendance is needed. The stability of the Middle East is at stake, while the price of oil is rising again. Coincidence? Maybe, but from my experience nothing just happens. Any ideas on a greater plan? I am open to suggestions.

That's all for now!

Thanks for stopping by! 

Hello my fellow Voxers and Happy Holidays to all of you!

I have been taking some time off my blogging duties in order to pursue other projects, like servicing my country and learning a new language (Russian it is!)

Yet, Santa Claus brought me this little tech baby and I can't get my hands off of it! So I had to share with you my excitement!

Hello my fellow Voxers,

the sixth day of riots is coming to an end, but violent incidents are still taking place in the center of Athens. Today, many police stations around Attica (Glyfada's included) were attacked but no casualties were reported.

Since I am in the army I don't have the time to blog as frequently as I want. Therefore, I am posting this link to a very elaborate wiki. Please check it!

Go to http://search.twitter.com and search for the tag griots. About five people (including me) are live-reporting what is going on in Athens and other Greek cities regarding the murder of the 15-year old teenager. 

Hello my fellow Voxers,

It's 3:00 am in Greece and the center of Athens is under siege. Earlier this evening, a 15-year old kid was shot to death by a police officer at Eksarheia Square (near Omonoia Sq.) during a duel between policemen and . After this unfortunate incident. riots have started across the country in almost every major Greek city. The area around the National Polytechnic University is filled with smoke from tear bombs and fires.

Since this is a story on development, I will try to sum everything up when things calm down.

Check this link.

Hello my fellow Voxers,

writing this post from my comfortable futon couch feels rather strange compared to the experiences I had during the past couple of weeks. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, I joined the army. Officially now, I am not a citizen anymore but a seaman (according to my military ID card).

The basic training lasted for two weeks and I was stationed at the extremely beautiful island of Poros which is near Athens. The camp has the most captivating views. Every time I felt tired or angry I could sit on a bench next to the sea and relax - reassess - regroup. Since I can't write publicly about my training, I can share what I was feeling while there. First of all, I never felt bored, except some cold afternoons. Nights existed only for a quick shower and sleep. We had always something to do and we were kept busy which was a major plus!

I am calm. It's been so long since I felt this way. I met some really great guys and of course the occasional douchbags. Living in a military camp can enhance someone's social skills. Now I am thankful for the college courses I attended on diplomacy and negotiations.

I am far from admitting that this is a lifer-altering experience, but I can tell with certainty that it is life-enhancing.

I will get back to you with more!

Hello my fellow Voxers,

Al Gore and the Purpose-Driven Web - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com

http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11...

“The purpose, I would urge all of you — as many of you as are willing to take it up — is to bring about a higher level of consciousness about our planet and the imminent danger and opportunity we face because of the radical transformation in the relationship between human beings and the Earth,” Mr. Gore said Friday evening at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco.

I am getting a bit tired by Al Gore's efforts to raise awareness on climate change issues. I believe that he is stuck in a vicious circle. His award-winning personality has raised more eyebrows than the causes he supports. Yet, he made a point at the Web 2.0 summit and I am glad we are starting to talk about the purpose-driven Web. My master's thesis was on this topic and this NYTimes article justifies my essay.

There is more than blogging about our lives or sharing photos in Facebook or chatting on MSN. Social activism has gained a great potential through the Web 2.0 trend and we are still far from truly harnessing it. Maybe, we could learn a thing or two from Obama's web campaign. Hence his presence on YouTube, official blogs, Facebook, MySpace, etc. was a crucial element that convinced young voters to vote for him. 

So in two weeks I'm going to the army. I have to get through this mandatory service in order to continue pursuing my career and dreams. A man has to do what a man has to do!

In addition, I finally got my master's degree. Last Friday I presented my thesis in front of the examing committee of my department and passed their requirements with flying colors! (I know I am bragging, but sometimes it feels so right!)

I will come back with more later this week!

Take care!