No Greek Gods Ready To Save Our Planet, Only Us!

One of the areas I have a great interest in is the life and earth sciences which are fundamental to our understanding of a sustainable future and ensuring that the stability of our future generations is assured. Never more than now do we need to take stock of our impact.

This is a concept that we are only now starting to realise and come to terms with. You see, there are no Greek Gods watching over our planet, ready to save the day, when things go too far. It is entirely up to us to do something about it.

It is absolutely imperative to remember that the resources of this planet are finite and moreover, that we are working are way through what we have left at an astonishing rate. Couple with this, the fact that we are not coming up with alternative forms of energy use in a hurry. (more...)

How The Gods Should Be Angry At What We're Doing To The Planet!

If you ever held any belief in Greek mythology and to Gods ruling over the planet, it is interesting to stop for just one moment and consider what their attitude would be to the way in which we are treating the planet today. Of course, if it were ever true, it’s fair to say that they would have certainly become involved by now.

One of the most important awakenings for me has been travelling to far flung parts of the globe, witnessing first hand the devastation that mankind is inflicting upon mother nature on earth. It is only after visiting remote spots that the message becomes clear.

You see, the natural wildernesses that have existed on this planet for millennia, are being destroyed by the hand of man at an alarming rate. This is becoming evident in nearly every single country in the world and the most frustrating thing of all here; is the fact that the relevant governments are doing diddly squat to try to prevent it. (more...)

An Inspiration For Greek Mytholgy

I recently visited Side Turkey. Side is a small town steeped in history in Antalya. Side is an ancient city on Turkey's southern shore. It was a slave market and flourished as a center for piracy. Most of the monuments date back to the Roman Empire..

This city is just about as close an image as you can get - to what Greek mythology may have been based on. The architecture here and other features across the city all tend to scream out an affiliation with the Greek Gods.

It has stood through many different battles and has changed hands numerous times. In fact, Alexander the Great was one of the first conquerors to settle here, back in 333 BC. After that, there were other architectural influences and some of these can still be seen to this day. (more...)

A Place Fit For The Gods

Gracing the Mediterranean coast, in Turkey, Side is one part of this country that is seriously steeped in history. In fact, the history of this important area can be traced as far back as the fourth century BC.

However, the interesting thing about this particular vacation spot was the history of Alexander the Great and the decline of the city. Side began a steady decline from the fourth century onwards. It is historical events such as this which remind us of our fragility.

This area was so important to nearly all of the civilisations of the day, that many wars and battles were fought in an attempt to win the area. This is exactly what happened and Side managed to change hands umpteen times during its millennia worth of history. (more...)

The Gods Won

There is a lot to be observed through the way in which many ancient civilisations have risen and then fallen, throughout the history of our species. One common factor seems to be prevalent at all times and that is the fact that these civilisations have become far too obsessed with greed.

Given the historical events of the Roman Empire and its subsequent decline, we should all take very seriously the messages from the past. It is often wars over property and land which are the root of such conflicts. Mans greed for opulence and prosperity brings him face to face with extinction. It is only through understanding these facts that we can avoid this fate.

Perhaps, more prehistoric religious beliefs helped to play a part in these demises. Consider ancient Greece, as an example, where the local inhabitants of this corner of the Balkans would have fervently believed in the fact that the Gods and Goddesses were watching over them. What a shock then, when their world would have encountered problems; they would have been adamant that the Gods were punishing them in some way or other. (more...)

Ancient Greek Styled Shutters That Disconnect Us From Life

Across much of the world, the ancient Greek styled shutters, that we can all picture in our minds, are used to help us to escape from the trials and tribulations of life itself. I feel like we often close our eyes to such history, conveniently masking our vision, using blinds to block our vision, even in our homes we block out the sun with shutters and hide behind curtains for fear. But it is fear itself that we have to confront if we are going to see clearly the obstacles which await us, and by our own efforts allow the solutions to be heard.

As unfortunate as it might sound, none of us could ever be in the enviable position whereby we would be able to cushion ourselves from life altogether. Yes, we can make every effort to attempt to block out the world outside, but alas, life will always have other ways of coming to find you.

In many ways, when people opt to pursue this attitude toward life, we can usually understand their mentality. After all, is it just me or has life tended to get more and more complicated over recent years? I am in no doubt that the main reason behind this is the fact that there are just far too many human beings roaming this planet today, than there were even twenty or thirty years ago. (more...)

Reflecting Personal Tastes In Architecture: Even the Ancient Greek Style

Whilst it should be remembered that not everyone can afford to really go to town, when it comes to having their homes customised to their own personal tastes and style, a lot of people are opting for exactly this nowadays. People are not content to settle for any old standard three bed semi detached property anymore; and instead, prefer to make their abode become a reflection of what really influences them.

Of course, in my own house I have made great efforts to ensure that the architecture reflects my inner feelings and is in keeping with the greater understanding I have developed from my travels and exhibitions. I have been lucky enough to travel to dozens of other countries and along the way, I have accumulated quite an eclectic mix of preferences towards different styles.

I have even noticed one American guy take this to a whole new extreme, through the fact that he has adapted his property to look like it would be more in-keeping in ancient Greece. He clearly has a real passion towards Greek mythology and shrine-like representations towards the Gods and Goddesses could be seen throughout the property. (more...)

The Modern Political Party: Seeing Themselves As Greek Gods

It would all appear to be in the title, my friends! This is certainly one point-of-view that seems to be commonly held amongst the modern day electorates of the Western societies.

It seems as though governments are completely entitled to do as they please and it seems that those currently in power have been having one big party at our expense while they have long since been enjoying the fruits which come with public office and such institutions. It is high time that the current situation is changed for the better.

Add to this the fact that many developed nations now seem to be becoming more and more 'big brother'. In other words, the fundamental rights to privacy seem to be slowly eroding away, as governments become increasingly inclined to keep tabs on us in some new and elaborate shape or form. (more...)

Even the Greek Gods need a holiday

The stunning natural beauty of bright blue seas, ancient archaeological sites, charming island villages, and a hot, mainly dry climate, make Greece the perfect holiday destination. Visitors to this Mediterranean idyll with its archipelago of over 1,000 islands are faced with a huge range of natural and man-made attractions that other destinations simply can’t compete with. There can be few other destinations in Europe that are likely to be as appealing as Greece for a holiday.

Of course, as an ancient civilisation and trading power, Greece has been welcoming visitors to their shores for many thousands of years. However, in recent years the Greek tourist industry has undergone a welcome renaissance, which culminated in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. This was the first time since 1896 that the Olympics were held in Greece and this helped put the country firmly back on the map as one of the world’s premier tourist destinations. There is no doubting the fact that Greece is a unique holiday destination and there can be few other places on this planet that are able to provide the traveller with so much culture, history and beauty.

Online Dating in the UK

A few years ago people who tried connecting to other singles on free dating websites, were considered desperate or possibly even undesirable. But in light of recent statistics it appears as if these bold individuals were just ahead of the curve. We are talking of course about recent marriage rates in the UK, which have fallen to an all time low. In fact, all over the western world marriage is in serious trouble.

But why? What has changed so drastically in only a few decades to cause the marriage rates to decline by more than a third all over Europe? While there are, of course, a number of important factors, one undeniable fact is that people are waiting longer and longer to get married these days. This is due in a large part to the fact that people are concentrating more on their careers and leaving marriage as a possible future option. But, as with most things, the longer you wait the less likely you are to take the plunge.

That’s where online dating comes in. As you may know, its popularity has skyrocketed in recent years and that is due to one simple fact: people haven’t changed. That’s right. People are still the same as they’ve ever been. They still seek companionship, trust, understanding and love. And online dating gives them a quick and easy way to meet local singles with no pressure or obligations.

Greek Gods and Russell Rhodes Ornaments

Any historian will tell you that Jesus replaced Zeus, the ruler or King of the Greek gods. Nevertheless, some of the traditions from the days of Zeus, Hera and other gods from Mount Olympus carried over into the Christmas celebrations.

Before the days of actual Christmas trees, the gods were worshiped with fragrant branches and incense made from those branches. Palm fronds were frequently used to cover the flooring, and candles were used both for light during worship, as well as offerings. Small baubles of glass, similar to the beads of today, were often given as token offerings to honor a particular Greek god. When you take each of these traditions alone, little similarity is immediately evident. However, taken as a whole, it is easy to see how we arrived at a Christmas tree and Christmas ornaments in celebration of the gods of our time. The plural became singular based on the one-god concept popularized by Jesus and his disciplines, yet the materials of worship carried forward. It is out of this tradition that Russell Rhodes designed his earliest Ornaments constructed of glass, and religious in nature. In an historical context, Russell Rhodes created Mount Olympus, Our Lady of Athens, Zeus, Hera, Athena, and several of the other Greek gods as souvenirs in tourist shops throughout Greece. At the same time, Jesus, Joseph, and Mary ornaments were developed for nearby Italian destinations, including Vatican City.

From these early beginnings, Frankincense, Myrrh, and the gifts of the Wisemen were created into Christmas ornaments, sold alongside the Greek gods. While the latter was no longer a religious item in nature, one can see how the traditions form a fluid evolution from one form of worship to another. Today, the heaven of the Greek gods is relegated to myth and story telling, while the Heaven of the Christian faith is considered a lofty, high, valuable spiritual goal by millions of believers worldwide. (more...)