ipernity: Panayotis' articles

God is not the answer, it is the question

- 3 years ago

I am reading a very nice book about Zen by Taisen Deshimaru. It starts with this story: Someone wrote on a wall of a US university of positive sciences: "God is dead - Nietzsche". And after some time, somebody added below: "Nietzsche is dead - God". I liked it very much because in addition to be funny it summarizes very well some recent thoughts I had regarding religion. More specifically, I think that there is an interesting misunderstanding related to the notion of God. Many people se…

Let the shy ones be heard!

- March 1, 2009 - 4 comments

A few days ago I was passing by a bar on Parmentier avenue, in Paris, and there was a nice band playing live. Their name is Falak. Check www.myspace.com/falaklegroupe . If you ever visit Paris, this bar is a cool small place to listen to live music in a friendly environment: www.fra.cityvox.fr/bars-et-boites_paris/la-gouttiere_87784/Profil-Lieu (they have live shows every Tuesday and Thursday) To make the story short, the energy of the place was very warm and "attractive". So, with my…

Army stories (2): The first day

- November 16, 2008 - 1 comment

So, what was I saying? Yes, the army experience. I must finish with this topic because I have new things to say about my latest trips to Shanghai and Napoli. I was checking some notes that I took one day about what I shouldn't forget after the army. Most of them where about incentives and how the army achieves its so difficult objective: to turn normal people into heros that are ready to throw themselves in the battlefield when ordered to do so. From my experience, the key for this to hap…

Army stories (1): insulting

- July 25, 2008 - 8 comments

I will start this (long) post with a story from Paris. A few days ago, I went to my favorite cafe in Paris. It is next to my favorite parc with the greatest view and a very nice genuine atmosphere (since it becomes more and more crowded I will not say more :-)). I go very often there (alone or with friends) but I am always "formal" with the owners, although I like them very much, partly because of the language barrier and partly because of my character. I don't know how to explain it but I alw…

- Hey tall man, when do you leave?

- July 12, 2008 - 2 comments

- Two and today (is my today's, very envied, reply :-)) This is the standard discussion when two soldiers meet in a military camp in Greece. First, everybody is called "tall man" independently of his height. It may seem strange but somehow it comes naturally. It happened also to me! I wanted to call somebody who was not looking at me, but for some reason I couldn't use the standard expressions that we often use in greek. Because of the uniforms perhaps you need to use a different word (and t…

Mother nation is calling me!

- May 9, 2008 - 7 comments

Today I shaved my head in order to realize that I am leaving for Athens tomorrow. I have to do my military service. I will be away for two months and this means that I have so many things to take care of before. Nevertheless I keep wasting my time on-line like nothing is going to change. So, after I shaved my head, I finally started working. A few minutes later an annoying sound didn't let me to concentrate. Usually I can work no matter what noise is around (I grew up just beside a park and I…

Hodja and more

- April 21, 2008 - 1 comment

I saw this theatre play on Friday and I liked it very much: Hodja - vol. 1 (Maison des metallos) This is a photo I took after the end of the show. My favorite Hodja's anecdote was the following: Hodja goes to an open market and sees a guy selling a bird with a price much more expensive than all the other sellers. So he asks: - why your bird is so much more expensive? - because it talks, replied the seller. So, the next day Hodja was himse…

A (very) interesting copyright story ...

- February 28, 2008

Video explains the world's most important 6-sec drum loop: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SaFTm2bcac (it's almost 20min but it is really worth it if you like music and copyright paradoxology or just nice stories from the past ... I will tell this story to my grandchildren for sure :-)) But if you want something lighter you can watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THyTnt00b5I :-) Some may say that this woman is not very clever ... but I will have to disagree ... I don't…

"I have never been clever, because need it never"

- January 28, 2008 - 4 comments

Jesus said "Μακάριοι οι πτωχοί τω πνεύματι" (the translation I found in the Internet is "blessed are the poor in spirit", but in greek it could also mean something like "happy are the poor in mind" :-)) I am not sure, but maybe this is one of the problems of our society ... the poor in mind are the only ones who are happy :-). I exaggerate (as always) but it is really a pity that (too) many clever and sensitive people are not happy! And they could ... or better they _should_, if they want to…

Arkatos ... "swimming" around the city

- January 11, 2008 - 21 comments

I have been told that in a greek region people use the word Αρκάτος (arkatos) to describe someone that walks without carrying anything (in his/her hands). It is a pity that it is not included in greek dictionaries and most greeks do not know it. It is a perfect word! (I wonder if there is such a word in other languages). So, I would like to promote its use (both in talking and in practice) :-) I love walking arkatos. And sometimes I even leave my key under the carpet outside the house entranc…

Do you like the truth?

- November 3, 2007 - 4 comments

This is really worth to watch ... please watch it when you have some time ... please! :-) video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5547481422995115331 and with greek subtitles ... http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7671298400447638082&hl=de (I am not a "conspiracy theory" person in general and maybe these videos do not "tell" the whole truth ... but I was really impressed of how many very important _facts_ towards this truth are hidden in a so clumsy way that the only explanation f…

About god

- October 2, 2007 - 8 comments

God, in order to punish the religious fanatics, doesn't exist - Arkas

Bad thoughts are like farts ... (seriously)

- September 19, 2007 - 10 comments

... when they sound they don't smell bad! (think about it) (some may argue against this relation between sound and smell in the case of farts but I think that, at least statistically, it holds ... and, seriously, for the case of bad thoughts I am sure... but you have to do it quickly ... the more you try to hide them the more they will smell if you let them out at the end ... exactly as farts!) An alternative formulation without the sound/smell property could be: "Bad thoughts are…

The mistake It is past

- September 17, 2007 - 3 comments

I was watching these days the games of the greek basketball team for the european championship and I was surprised by how wise is the coach (his name is Panayotis Yanakis). He was always positive after each game independently of the result and he was repeating: "What I try to teach them is that a mistake is already gone (it is past)". (his philosophy and overall profile has a tremendous (positive) impact on the team). I think this is one of the most important (and difficult) things to realize…

Please try!

- September 9, 2007 - 16 comments

A friend of mine Stamatis, during my university years in Heraklion, Crete, was going to the bus station a very rainy day. The moment he was arriving, he saw his bus just leaving the station. So, he started running in order to catch it in the next street lights, which were red. He made it, and since the bus was stopped, he started knocking on the door and shouting "please open!" (remember that there was a heavy rain at that moment). But the driver replied "I cannot!". Then Stamatis, with a very d…

Back to school - The heads inside!

- August 30, 2007 - 1 comment

Vacations are over ... for one more time ... now "the heads inside" (as we say in Greece). I am not sure from where this expression comes from but just remembered (really) an old joke we were saying in high-school which could be responsible for this: A dead man goes to hell and the devil shows him the room where he will stay for the rest of his life ... there is a huge pool full of shit and a couple of people inside. "This is not so bad", he thought ... but before finishing his thoug…

Randez-vous at the oasis ...

- July 21, 2007

This song makes me happy everytime I listen to it ... this is a translation of the main theme: Randez-vous at the oasis at 10:30 be careful not to get lost in the dark Randez-vous at the oasis to live forever inside a fresh ananananaaaaaaaa ... ... inside a fresh ananaaaaaaaaa Nice vacations to everybody that happens to read this ... one more week for me ... randez-vous at the oasis :-)

I think, I exist :-)

- July 8, 2007 - 1 comment

From a famous greek comics artist, Arkas ... if you find one of his books in your language check it out! (although most of his jokes are difficult to be translated since he plays a lot with the words)

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