Chris Pine on the Enterprise - Kirk never looked so sexy

Pine was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Robert Pine, is an actor who appeared in CHiPs as Sergeant Joseph Getraer, and his mother,Gwynne Gilford, is a former actress who is now a practicing psychotherapist.^[2] He has an older sister, Katie.^[3] His maternal grandmother, Anne Gwynne (née Marguerite Gwynne Trice), was a Hollywood actress, and his maternal grandfather, Max M. Gilford (born Max Goldfarb), was an attorney who was elected president of the Hollywood Bar Association.^[4][5] Pine's ancestry includes Russian Jewish (from his maternal grandfather), Welsh, and English.^[6] He has stated, "I definitely have a spiritual outlook... I am not a religious guy, I am probably agnostic".^[7]

Pine attended Oakwood School for high school and received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2002.^[8][9] He also studied English at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom for one year.^[10] After graduation, he studied at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.^{[4] *wikipedia*}

2013 - Three eclipses in a row

Eclipses usually come in pairs, and they usually happen twice a year. But, occasionally we get three eclipses in a row, like we have coming this Spring 2013. Eclipses always occur on the new and full moons, and our upcoming eclipses will be: a lunar (full moon), a solar (new moon), and then another lunar in April and May 2013.

Eclipses bring changes, and most of us find change uncomfortable, to say the least. When the Sun and Moon line up exactly with respect to the Earth, their gravitational pull is going to be stronger. Many new age experts say an eclipse has ten times the power of a normal New or Full Moon. Eclipses can stimulate relationship breakups, business failures, sudden accidents, babies to be born, and the elderly to pass over. They can also bring positive changes like new love and promotions at work, but most of us find extra challenges in our paths during eclipse events. 
Before I go into the details of our Spring eclipses, I want to point out that Uranus and Pluto (two slow outer planets) will be fighting a major battle throughout our ecliptic events this Spring, and this could make the eclipses even more painful. Uranus rules the unexpected, and Pluto governs fear and jealousy. These two planets could bring sudden tragedies, fanatics, and emotional upsets into our lives without the help of the eclipses. When we add the eclipses to the melody… well, many could experience an event they will never care to repeat.

The eclipse on April 25th will be a partial lunar eclipse. Usually partial eclipses don’t pack the oomph that total eclipses do, but this one will have plenty of other planetary energy feeding it. Mars will be behind the Sun, and Saturn will be behind the Moon amplifying the tug of war between the two of them. The Moon and Saturn will be in passionate Scorpio, and the Sun and Mars will be in stubborn Taurus. Neptune will also be adding creative and spiritual energy to the mix. Now to put it in English, we may find ourselves working very hard on a project (or a relationship) just to realize its going nowhere. Nervous energy could be very high, and if we aren’t careful we may find ourselves doing or saying something to the boss or other type of authority figure that we will regret.

Our second eclipse, on May 9th, will be a New Moon annular solar eclipse. An annular eclipse is similar to a total eclipse in the fact that the Moon will directly cross the face of the Sun. But, the Moon will not completely cover the sun, because the Moon’s orbit will be far enough from the Earth to make it appear smaller than the Sun. As far as astrology goes, its still going to be a powerful eclipse. This time the Sun and the Moon will be in the sign of Taurus, and they will have Mars and Mercury behind them adding lots of energy to the mix. That’s four very energetic planets pulling at us from the possessive sign of Taurus. When Taurus is afflicted she can become conniving and manipulative. There is a good chance people (including loved ones) will lie to us. Theft could also be a strong possibility. The Pluto-Uranus fight will also be increasing, and that will bring more tension and sudden mood swings. The best thing to do when a Taurus conflict is occurring is to “walk like a Taurus.” Do things slowly and methodically. Do not make any rush decisions, no matter how much the world wants you to, and appreciate what you have.

Our last eclipse, on May 25th, will be a Full Moon penumbral lunar eclipse. Penumbral eclipses are subtle and often require an expert to recognize them. A penumbral eclipse occurs when the Moon passes through the fringe of the Earth’s shadow. Even though penumbral eclipses are the “weakest” of all the eclipses, this one will still make us stand up and take notice, because the Pluto-Uranus square will hit its peak just a few days before the eclipse. It is very likely that we will experience the effects of this eclipse up to a week before the actual event. But, the day of the eclipse could be especially difficult as well. This time the Moon will be in Sagittarius, while the Sun is in Gemini, and these two are going to line up with Neptune in Pisces to make a nasty T-square. (Gemini’s and Sag’s, this will be the LAST eclipse in your sign for the next 8 years. You can breathe a sigh of relief.) When Neptune is afflicted, we often turn to our addictions for comfort. Many will be overindulging for this eclipse, and misunderstandings and acts of stupidity are possible. If you want to come through this eclipse relatively unscathed, think like a Gemini, and be flexible! Let go of your agenda, and let the universe take you on a “magic carpet ride.” But… use extra caution driving, and watch out for the drunk driver.

Now for the technical details. The first eclipse on April 25th at 4:07 PM EDT will be at 5 degrees 51 minutes Scorpio. The second eclipse on May 9th at 10:55 PM EDT will be at 19 degrees 33 minutes Taurus. And, the third eclipse on May 25th at 12:10 AM EDT will be at 3 degrees 58 minutes Sagittarius. Get out your natal chart and pencil in each of the eclipse coordinates. Look and see which of your houses these eclipses will land in. That will tell you which part of your life is likely to be affected. Are any of the eclipses conjunct any of your inner planets (Sun through Mars) or any of your power points (AC, IC, DC, MC)? If they are, there could be major issues in those areas the planets and points govern. If you’re not sure, with your chart in hand, contact your favorite astrologer. They will be able to answer any of your questions quickly, and you will get to learn just a little bit more about astrology.
http://www.e-tarocchi.com/blog/article/2013/04/three-eclipses-in-a-row--april-and-may-2013

Steve Jobs - Brilliant human being

Cast the gift of a lovely thought

"If instead of a jewel, or even a flower, we could cast the gift of a lovely thought into the heart of another, that would be giving as the angels must give."

- Anonymous

Nikos Kourkoulis talks about his cancer

Nikos Kourkoulis is among the most well-known and beloved musicians in Greece. On 6 December 2006 he spoke on Greek television station ANT1 of the following incident which occurred to him in 2002.

In 2002 Nikos was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. After several tests, this diagnosis was confirmed. His mother told him not to worry, that all would turn out well for him.

During the period of Great Lent he finished the program at the center where he was appearing, and he presented all his friends and colleagues with gifts and gave his final wishes, as his cancer was rapidly progressing.

His friends and his uncle urged him to go to Mount Athos. This sounded like a good idea to him, as he had desired to travel to the Holy Mountain for years. The day before he went he decided to have another test, but did not get the results as he knew they would be the same. He had also decided that upon his return he would travel to America to speak with a physician who was a pancreatic specialist.

He departed then from Ouranoupolis on a small boat and landed in Daphne on Mount Athos. It was Holy Week and the boat was full of visitors and pilgrims. Despite this, there was one empty chair in which his friends urged him to sit. Next to him sat a gentleman of about 50 years of age who turned to Nikos and asked him: "Are you Kourkoulis? You know, I don't really know you because I am from America, but my daughter listens to you and likes your music. Can we take a picture together so that I can give it to her, as it would make her happy?" The picture was taken and then they began a conversation. Nikos mentioned how he desired to go to America, not as a tourist, but in search of a physician who could possibly help him with his health problems. He then mentioned the physicians name, and the gentleman from America was astonished.

What astonished the man was that he was the right hand man of the doctor Nikos had mentioned, and moreover the doctor in question was sitting right next to him. Having recovered from the surprise he talked with the doctor and exchanged cards for subsequent communication.

They arrived at the Skete of Saint Anna for the vigil of Great Friday. At one point an elder of the Skete named Fr. Silas approached Nikos and said: "Come with me, now that the large crowd has left, that you can venerate the belt of Saint Anna." He didn't know Fr. Silas, but he followed him anyway. When they reached the holy belt Nikos knelt and prayed. After kneeling for about one or two minutes he began to feel a great pressure on him that drove him to the floor. It made him faint and he was out for about twenty minutes. When he recovered he began to cry for what he felt. After about an hour of weeping he went to a room where he rested the entire next day.

After Pascha he returned to the city and visited the doctor where another surprise awaited him. The doctor told him that in the new tests they had taken, no trace of cancer could be seen. There was not even an indication that he ever had cancer.

It should be noted that during the entire period after he was diagnosed with cancer, he never took a drug or went through any chemotherapy to aid in his recovery.

http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2011/04/nikos-kourkoulis-cancer-and-holy.html

Melina Aslanidou - Kalokairi aggaliamou

Angelina Jolie has undergone a double mastectomy

Hollywood actress  to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer.

The 37-year-old mother of six has explained her reasons for having the surgery in the New York Times.

She said her doctors estimated she had an 87% risk of breast cancer and a 50% risk of ovarian cancer. "I decided to be proactive and to minimise the risk as much I could," she wrote.

She said the process began in February and was completed by the end of April.

Risk reduced

In an article entitled My Medical Choice, Ms Jolie explained that her mother fought cancer for nearly a decade and died at the age of 56.

She said she had sought to reassure her children that the same illness would not take her away from them, "but the truth is I carry a 'faulty' gene, BRCA1, which sharply increases my risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer".

She said that once she "knew that this was my reality", she had taken the decision to undergo the nine weeks of complex surgery required for a double mastectomy.

Her chances of developing breast cancer have now dropped from 87% to under 5%, she said.

She praised her partner, Brad Pitt, for his love and support throughout the procedure, and said she was reassured that her children had found nothing in the results "that makes them uncomfortable".

"I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity," she said.

"For any woman reading this, I hope it helps you to know you have options," Ms Jolie went on to say.

"I want to encourage every woman, especially if you have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer, to seek out the information and medical experts who can help you through this aspect of your life, and to make your own informed choices."

The award-winning actress and director is also a long-time supporter of humanitarian causes. She is currently a UN special envoy.

During the period she was undergoing the double mastectomy procedure, Ms Jolie visited the Democratic Republic of Congo with UK Foreign Secretary William Hague - and attended the G8 summit of foreign ministers in London - to raise awareness over sexual violence in conflict.

She also helped launch a charity to fund girls' education set up by the Pakistani schoolgirl activist Malala Yousafzai who was shot by the Taliban last October.

Ms Jolie has three biological children and three adopted children with Brad Pitt

http://emergingmagazine.com/group/celebritygossip/forum/topics/angelina-jolie-has-double-mastectomy

Little girl throws a punch

An atheist was seated next to a little girl on an airplane and he turned 
to her and said, "Do you want to talk? Flights go quicker if you strike
up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The little girl, who had just started to read her book, replied to the total
stranger, "What would you want to talk about?"

"Oh, I don't know," said the atheist. "How about why there is no God,
or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after death?" as he smiled smugly.

"Okay," she said. "Those could be interesting topics but let me ask
you a question first. A horse, a cow, and a deer all eat the same
stuff - grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns
out a flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you suppose that is?"

The atheist, visibly surprised by the little girl's intelligence,
thinks about it and says, "Hmmm, I have no idea." To which
the little girl replies, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss
God, Heaven and Hell, or life after death, when you don't know shit?"

And then she went back to reading her book.

ΣΤΟ ΠΑ ΚΑΙ ΣΤΟ ΞΑΝΑΛΕΩ ΓΙΩΡΓΟΣ ΝΤΑΛΑΡΑΣ

'Τα τραγούδια έχουν το δικό τους λόγο.Τα τραγούδια έχουν ψυχή και έχουν μνήμη. Και άμα θυμάσαι τα τραγούδια, δεν ξεχνάς ποτέ πoιος είσαι.Σαν αυτό το τραγουδάκι που θα σου παίξω και μια και μοναδική φορά και δεν θα το ξεχάσεις ποτέ! Θα το θυμάσαι για πάντα..ετσι το μάθαμε όλοι''.

Istanbul Oriental Ensemble

Formed in Turkey in 1991 by multi-instrumentalist Burhan Öçal, the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble has kept to its original goal of recreating the feel and styles of specifically Turkish and Thracian gypsy music. The Ensemble, with two percussionists, relies on the traditional lineup of clarinet, kanun (zither), oud, and violin for its melodies. Growing up in the village of Kirkareli, some 100 kilometers outside Istanbul, Öçal was exposed to gypsy music from an early age, and became a true convert to the sound when a gypsy group played at his circumcision ceremony when he was six years old. As an adult he established himself as a musician adept on the darbuka drum, oud, saz, and tanbur, playing with artists as varied as the Kronos Quartet and Joe Zawinul, and playing everything from classical music to jazz to drum'n'bass. He put together the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble with the cream of Turkey's Rom (gypsy) musicians -- Ferdi Nadaz (clarinet), Muzzafer Coskuner (oud), Sahin Sert (kanun), Fethi Tekyaygil (violin), and Ekrem Bagi (percussion). Initially their repertoire consisted primarily of 19th-century gypsy pieces culled from Turkey, Thrace, and into the Balkan regions, and their reputation was founded on performances around Europe, both in concerts and at festivals, long before they made their first album, 1996's Gypsy Rum. It won the prestigious Deutschen Schallplattenkritik award, voted by German reviewers as the best world music recording of the year, which helped make the band more widely known in Europe, and respected by audiences and reviewers alike for their authenticity and the quality of their improvisations, known as taqsim. In 1998 a second album, Sultan's Secret Door, was released, which again won the Deutschen Schallplattenkritik award, making the Istanbul Oriental Ensemble one of the very few bands to ever win with back-to-back albums. On the record they moved beyond purely traditional music into original compositions that embraced the gypsy spirit. It was followed by extensive touring all over the globe, after which the band concentrated on separate ventures for a while. They reconvened in 2000 to make Caravanserai, a concept album of sorts built around the ancient wayfarer's inn known as a caravanserai. The record explored all the facets of what was essentially a small community, and featured the vocals of Nadaz on the only singing track. Ten days after the completion of the disc, Nadaz died. Caravanserai was released in February 2001

Karsilamas

TOIFA Awards 2013 in Vancouver