God of War 3 - Part 14 of 35

Here is part 14 of my God of War 3 playthrough. Enjoy!

God of War 3 - Part 21 of 35

Here is part 21 of my God of War 3 playthrough. Enjoy!

DOM - Jesus

I wanna feel it in my heart again

Dream Interpretation and Greek Mythology

Initially, as I was trying to decipher the mysterious language of the dreams, I examined Greek mythology. I understood how it related to the meaning of our dreams because the stories and themes that comprise the mythological stories are actually archetypes.

Archetypes are dream symbols immensely powerful. We find them in the artistic and religions manifestations of all civilizations across eras, in addition to finding them in dreams of many different people from different places in all historical times.

By translating the symbolic meaning of the archetypes contained in Greek mythology, we decipher the hidden message present in these images and stories, parallel to the meaning that can be understood by our conscious mind.

There are many meanings in a symbol because it simultaneously represents many things, and therefore, the relevant definition depends on how it appears in a dream and in artistic or religious manifestations.

While Homer speaks of only one "Moira" (Destiny), Esiodos mentions three "moires" (destinies). Each part does something in order to change the luck of the human being: one of them weaves life, the other one rolls the yarn, and the last one cuts it.

The three destinies of humans are the symbolic representation of the three destinies one's life has, depending on which of the three parts of the psyche one chooses to follow.

The part that gives one life (weaves one's destiny) is the wise unconscious that produces dreams to protect from the craziness inherent in the anti-conscience and that tries to help one completely develop one's human conscience so that he may live peacefully and happily.

The destiny that rolls the yarn is the conscience, which decides one's actions but frequently makes many mistakes because it is ignorant, selfish and a big victim of the person's ego. The ego is connected with the anti-conscience that wishes to destroy the conscience through craziness.

The destiny that cuts the yarn is the demoniac anti-conscience: one's primitive conscience that never evolved and still exists in one's psyche, provoking many problems with its invasions in the conscious realm. This dangerous part has to be tamed and transformed into a positive part of the conscience; otherwise, it causes depression, neurosis and several worse psychic diseases that cannot be cured when the destruction of the conscience is complete.

Poseidon, the god of the Sea, was one of the most important gods in Greek mythology. He ruled the ocean and had his empire there. His older brother, Addis, possessed the world of the depth and his younger brother Dias was the god of the sky and earth.

The symbolism we find here is similar-Dias is the wise unconscious mind trying to help humans transform their lives on Earth, so that they may forever live happily in the sky, in the perfect world of sanctity, which is paradise.

Poseidon is the god of the sea, which represents craziness. Therefore, Poseidon is in the place of the conscience, which is also absurd, even though it has transformed through consciousness. It has to be completely developed; otherwise, it leads the human being to the labyrinth of craziness because it is dominated by the evil anti-conscience.

Addis represents Satan, the god of hell, since he rules the depths. If the human being doesn't fight the domination of the anti-conscience, one becomes its victim and ends up imprisoned forever in the labyrinth of craziness, which is the worst fate for anyone.

Craziness represents terror and terror brings despair: this is the worst destiny for a human being. This tragic destiny is psychic hell, the most unbearable misfortune that exists.

Only craziness prevention can save humanity from the hell of poverty, prostitution and violence that facilitate the poisonous destruction caused by the anti-conscience. Only through the exact interpretation of dreams according to Carl Jung's method, which I have simplified, can everyone overcome depression and all existent mental illnesses with certainty, acquiring mental, emotional and psychic health for life.

This is how you will control your destiny and never be a victim of the anti-conscience's traps, replacing what could potentially be negative in the future with something that will bring you joy and satisfaction instead.

Bibliography:

Encyclopaedia of Mythology-Gods and Heroes of The Ancient World

Viteh Zamarovski

Editions Tambaki

Athens - 1981

Prevent Depression and Craziness through the scientific method of Dream Interpretation discovered by Carl Jung and simplified by Christina Sponias, a writer who continued Jung's research in the unknown region of the human psychic sphere.

Learn more at: http://www.scientificdreaminterpretation.com and http://www.booksirecommend.com

Click below to download your copy of the Free ebook
Beating Depression and Craziness

Pluto on the Galactic Center

Every 248 years, Pluto crosses the point of the Galactic Center, a rare and auspicious event.

The Galactic Center: "The Galactic Core is like a boiling cauldron of raw creation, where all components such as stars, cold and hot gas, magnetic fields and the central black hole show an intimate interplay,...It's almost as if the Galactic Center were a living organism,"
Dr. Heino Falcke

A complex and mysterious place. the galactic center is at the edge of the extremely bright object labeled Sagittarius (Sgr) A, harboring a million solar mass black hole. Astronomers say the Galactic Center emanates one hundred times the energy of our sun, and surely, as Paul Hewit says, the Galactic Center is the Sun of our Sun. All centers are pivotal in metaphysics representing primal origins or heavens.

Pluto: Jeffrey Wolf Green correlates Pluto to the soul and evolution. This potent energy rules Scorpio and the 8th house, likened to the Phoenix Bird that dives into the flames to be reborn anew. The metamorphosis from old to new can be quite intense, where loss and death (real and metaphoric) are faced and shadows revealed. Pluto's scorpionic controls and defenses are always rooted in deep hurts and wounds, and ultimately where we learn to lighten up, as things created anew are always good. Working consciously with Pluto's alchemical affects allows us to really change.

Sagittarius: Jupiter, also known as Zeus in mythology, and the greatest of the Greek Gods, rules this sign. He basically rules the Universe and is the ultimate authority among the immortals. He is also regarded as the guardian of political order and peace among humans. Jupiter is the second largest entity in our solar system next to the Sun, and esoteric writings credit information and wisdom coming to humans from Jupiter. Sagittarian qualities are joy, wisdom, faith, adventure, abundance, expansion, freedom, truth, and the Divine vs. the Mundane (the dual representation of this mutable sign). Sagittarius is philosophical, intuitive, and very importantly, connected with "Natural Law" vs. "Man-Made Law".

The Center of the Galaxy is at 26:55 (almost 27) degrees Sagittarius, and Pluto is currently in the sign of Sagittarius at 26:03 and moving towards (with some retrograde action) the GC to conjunct it on December 28, 2006. This is a very significant event, occurring only every 248 years, and for those tuned in, the effects are already strong!

The last Pluto/Galactic Center cycle coincides generally with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, which basically means the application of power-driven machinery to manufacturing. For example, in England, the countryside was transformed from open-field system of cultivation to compact farms and enclosed fields. Systematic stock breeding was also pioneered. Then of course came the steam engine, electricity, railroads, urban life, new social classes, etc. Of course, look how far we've come in such a short time. Pluto also symbolizes time speeding up, but that's another article.

In astrology, what we see and know about is what impacts our consciousness and can be interpreted through astrological symbols. We notice that the discoveries of Uranus, Pluto, Neptune and Chiron (at least in our recorded history) were shadowed by events characteristic of them. For example, Uranus can occasionally be seen by the naked eye, but wasn't identified as a planet until 1781, coinciding with the American and French revolutions towards "new" societies, and aviation.

The earliest studies towards finding the center of the galaxy began in 1915 - 1919 with a scientist named Shapely, but with computer technology, discoveries such as the radio wave emissions shown in the picture, there is a stampede towards new information and the galactic center is firmly imbedded in the memes of human consciousness.

I think that this new Pluto cycle has the potential for transformation in our ability to understand more intuitively the natural law wisdom and information that may be emanating from the galactic center. Clearly, a new cycle is beginning, and where the old dies, events intensify while birthing the new. Many ideas and behaviors will come up in direct contradiction to what may be coming, simply because people try desperately and passionately to hold on to things that may be dying. Change is rarely graceful.

Pluto may represent the evolution of our consciousness, and because this is coinciding with the end of several major cycles in different traditions, the shift we experience and recognize may be one of tapping into the natural order of the universe instead of staying in our limited conditioning of man-made law, especially of the last 6000 years of patriarchal rule. If the Galactic Center has the gravitational energy of the galaxy in Sagittarius, which embodies, energy, aspiration, motivation, joy, truth and intuitive understanding, and as the center has the energies of the source of consciousness, then if one can tune into how this energy affects them personally, changes in consciousness can be huge during the next almost two years of Pluto's transit across the Galactic Center.

Although not an actual planet but a point on the chart, like the nodes of the moon, the GC point on your chart is very powerful. It is an area where deep truths about the natural order of things can be realized. Everyone has it somewhere and everyone has an opportunity to change deeply their way of thinking with this event. If you have anything in the mutable signs of Sagittarius, Gemini, Virgo and Pisces that aspects 26:55 within about 3 degrees (23 - 29 degrees) then the impact may be undeniable. Which house and what planets, in conjunction with the overall themes of the chart will fill in the specifics.

How do you know what is natural law? Think with your heart, and trust your intuition. This usually translates into common sense. Look at your chart if you are familiar with how to read it, and discover what this might mean for you.

Melody Scott Zindell practices astrology with a focus on the practical, psychological and spiritual aspects of life, synthesizing information from over 30 years of study. Her website is: Depth Astrology [http://www.depth-astrology.com]

Rise of the argonauts - Final boss / Ares (mace) end

Sorry for the steam sound in middle of the video.... :D

God of War 3 Glitch: New Game+ / Bonus Play/ Start with all weapons at max level.

Normally there is no NG+/Bonus Play/Start with all weapons at Max Lv. in game, they only thing you could've kept was godly possesions, which somewhat gave you NG+ But you still had to get the weapons and items normally during the story. Until now! With a little glitch using the combat arena, you can start a new game with all weapons at max level! Just die constantly in the combat arena until you get the message "Do you want to change the difficulty to easy" (NOTE: This message will not pop up if you select the difficulty on Chaos, so don't choose that) select no, and start a new game (it doesn't matter what difficulty). Its not perfect (for example you still have to get the blades of exile, and level them up but since that is so early in the game and with godly possesions that should be resolved really quickly.

God of War 3 - Part 23 of 35

Here is part 23 of my God of War 3 playthrough. Enjoy!

The Universe season 1 episode 2 - Mars the Red Planet [gr subs] Full Length

Next Episode: www.youtube.com A look at the planet Mars (Aris), the planet most similar to Earth in our solar system; an examination of Olympus Mons the largest volcano in the solar system; how NASA probes search for evidence of past life on the red planet, and what that life might have looked like. ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪ Playlist: www.youtube.com (Contain all videos for season 1) History Channel -- The Universe -- Mars the Red Planet (Season 1 - Episode 2) 2007 ₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪

Fun Ways to Find Baby Names

Names all come from a meaning and they come from somewhere. Not everyone remembers the meanings though, or really cares. We tend to just think of the names nowadays. That doesn't mean naming can't be fun. Almost anything can be a the perfect name if used correctly. Sometimes a little tweaking with a few letter changes and syllable alterations may enhance it. This article will help point out some sources of names to consider when trying to be creative for your future baby.

Flowers and Plants

While names like Rose and Lily may be common, and Holly and Daisy not too far off, there are thousands of other flowers out there just waiting to be picked. Flowers like Aster, Hawthorn, Gladiolas, Jonquil and Orchid.

Along with flowers, many plants have been used as names in the past. Some examples include Willow, Sequoia, Oakley, and Ash. Though they are all wonderful names, none of the three are really common names. Other beautiful trees and plants that are worth considering and playing around with are Azaleas, Birch, Cypress, Zelkova, and Vibernum. There are also fruit trees such as Apple, Cherry, and Peach, which have on occasion inspired a few names.

Gemstones

Gemstones have a beauty both in their look and in their name. One of the most obvious ways of helping them be associated with a name is choosing the birthstone of the baby's month as a name. Garnet for a January baby, Amethyst for a February baby, and so on. Because they are very common and already known words, they'll be unique but not too strange that it might be confusing for some to pronounce or spell, as is how some newly created names can be.

There are also many other gemstones out there besides the birthstones, and any gem can be used for a baby's name in any month. There is no rule to limit only babies in the month of October can have the name Opal.

Mythology

Mythology has a great and diverse range of words and names to play around with. Most obvious is the names of gods and heroes to choose from. Looking at Greek mythology as an example, anything from Zeus and Hera, to Apollo and Rhea, to Argos and Pandora can be a refreshing revival of the classical names.

Along with actual names of gods and heroes, there are the different types of beings to be inspired by. For example, there are the nymphs and their many types like Auloniads, Oreads, Naiads, Dryads, Nereids and Lampades. There were also Satyrs, Elves, Giants, Gnomes, Amazons, etc. These creatures were sometimes even monsters, like the Leviathan, or Chimera, or Typhon, or Cerberus. While these might not be ideal names at first glance, they may grow in liking, and by playing around with syllables and spelling can become original and respectable names to have.

Locations

A trend in naming that dates back before most can recall is being inspired by different locations around the world. The possibilities are endless, including everything from continents to countries to cities and even regions. Specific geographical locations, like names of mountains, seas, rivers and lakes, can also be unique and fun to play around with.

Sometimes these places have a deeper meaning for the parents. It could be where they first met, where they proposed, where they got married, their favorite vacation spot, their dream location, their homeland, where they were born, etc. Using these places as names or inspiration for names for their children add a nice personal touch.

Colors

Colors are some of the most used ways of expression in the world, from writing to art to everyday use. Why should names be any different? Not only do the words of color paint a visual image, they give a feeling, an expression, a meaning.

Simple examples like Red, Orange, Blue and green may not have quite the effect and may be a bit lackluster for some. There are still plenty of other descriptive and poetic words for colors, though. Reds can be Carmine, Cerise, Scarlet, or Vermilion. Orange as Coral and Ginger. Yellow can be Amber or Ivory. Green can be Jade, Sage, Viridian or Willow. Blue can be Azure and Beryl, Cobalt or Teal. Purple can be Lavendar, Violet, Orchid. Even white and black can be interesting, with names like Pearl, Ash, Sable, Onyx and Ebony.

There are many other inspirations and word groups out there to draw from and help name your child. Whether it be an animal, a star, a zodiac sign, a favorite food or song, a movie character or novel character, a color, gem or flower, there is a whole world of creativity out there. Common names are fine and can be quite beautiful, but naming your child something unique can say a lot more than the actual word

This article has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.BabyNameVote.Com which is a site for Baby Names.

Jake Rose is an artist and an author from Massachusetts.

201110.18 Coast to Coast Erich vonDaniken Ancient ET Visitations.mov

www.amazon.com www.facebook.com www.coasttocoastam.com In the second half, one of the main figures responsible for popularizing the ancient astronaut hypothesis, Erich von Däniken, discussed his theories, and his latest work, which posits that the Greek "gods" were ET beings who arrived here many thousands of years ago. People think of the Greek myths as like science-fiction of the past, with mixed beings like centaurs, fantastic creatures such as dragons, and tales of powerful weapons and ships. Rather than myth, he's concluded that these accounts reflect what might have actually gone on in the deep past. The god/ET Poseidon mated with an Earth woman, and so to protect his new family, he created Atlantis, von Däniken explained. Plato spoke about Atlantis and a great war that had taken place 9000 years earlier (11500 years from our time). The ETs that visited Greece were present in Egypt earlier, von Däniken continued. He also spoke about his research in the Andes, where he investigated a prehistoric city, Puma Punku, that has artifacts of great precision that could not have been made by stone age people. The pre-Incan god Viracocha was another visiting extraterrestrial, he suggested. News segment guests: Greg Hunter, Robert Zubrin Website(s): the-suit.com/theloststones facebook.com/theloststones daniken.com legendarytimes.com Book(s): The Lost Stones Chariots of the Gods Twilight of the Gods: The Mayan Calendar and the Return of the Extraterrestrials Odyssey of the Gods ...

Popular Theme Ideas For Proms

The prom completes your stay in high school. Almost as much as graduation, the prom is anticipated by all students from the start of high School! All juniors and seniors have the opportunity to dress formally, have, fun, and dance with their high school sweethearts during prom. Students are always excited by the fun when the idea of a prom occurs to them.

Go Retro

Organizers must choose a theme for students to be able to plan their outfits. Do you know what the party's theme should be? The theme will determine what type of decorations should be used, the setting, and the attendee's clothing. One of the most popular prom themes for 2009 is 70's retro. A vintage look can be accomplished with a silk scarf, gold necklaces and sunglasses that are oversized. The look of the 1970's has never gone out of style. This prom theme is neat, as it would bring back memories from high school. It would be enjoyable since they could see how their parents were like.

Shakespeare's times

This motif is designed for young people who want to play at being dashing Romeos and eye catching Juliets - Shakespeare would be proud! The theme of this prom will highlight the apex of Shakespearean literature. This theme has a romantic atmosphere that is reminiscent of classic Shakespeare. The negative thing is every one has to wear Elizabethan costumes, including the neck frills of the period. The thick fabric will make people sweat if the hall isn't air conditioned.

Surfing

Tired of the same old predictable look of dresses and tuxedos, how about taking it to the next level, declare it a Surfin' USA, beach theme all the way. The students would be able to wear real swimwear if the venue is actually on the beach. Less daring girls may decide to wear one-piece swimsuits and shorts. It is acceptable for men to dress much more casually, though. If you decide taking a bunch of children to the shore is too dangerous, one way to make do would be to hang tiki torches and play reggae music - maybe sand the floor to give the gym a beachy feel.

Greek Olympian Theme

Why not create Olympian Greek gods and goddesses out of the high school students? All that is needed are Grecian tunics and one shoulder dresses in sheer chiffon and satin. It shouldn't be a Herculean task. Accessories such as gold arm cuffs and strappy flip-flops finish the Grecian look. You must bring your swords!

Designer Chic

Who says runway stars have to be skinny models or well muscled men to be able to walk along the catwalk? When given the limelight, juniors and seniors will show off signature brands such as Armani. During the ongoing global crisis, you can still shop for fashionable yet affordable clothes. The students will try to emulate the looks of the runway without breaking the budget - that is part of their job of being 'models'. Everyone will be able to strut their stuff on the catwalk and that will benefit self esteem for all. If you want a certain look, like a runway style photo session, hire a photographer that can take pictures whenever the pupils strut their stuff. Using life size models really sets the theme. Feel free to experiment with your outfit. Being creative is the key. Girls could display the ethereal beauty of a ballerina by dressing in a chiffon empire-cut tunic and a matching satin headband. A simple wardrobe for a catwalk professional consists of lots of solids and very few prints.

A Gala Evening

This idea never goes out of fashion. Sitting in their luxurious tuxedos and delicate silk dresses, the students couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of sophistication and glamor. The music of the gala theme is what gives it a classic feel. It's similar to the fashion catwalk, complete with lighting, but more formal. Because the focus is on grace and style it is better to wear plain dresses that do not have accessories and ruffles. It is important to select the right fabric. The best fabrics for gowns are satin and silk.

Proms are there to allow people to enjoy themselves, no matter what the theme is. Don't spend money on clothes you will most likely never wear again. Whenever you can, choose higher quality at a reasonable price.

Jacquie Generra writes about Teenagers and other Fashion & Personal Care as a staff writer for HowToDoThings.com.

God of War 3 - Part 1 of 35

God of War 3 is finally out and it is awesome!!! Here is the first part of playthrough of God of War 3. Enjoy.

Greek Sculpture (BBC: How Art Made The World)

How greek art created something more human than human. Excerpt from the BBC documentary "How Art Made The World" concerning greek sculpture. Presented by Dr Nigel Spivey (University of Cambridge). Music: "Enfer (La Double Vie De Veronique)" by Zbigniew Preisner.

Gaia: The Mother Of All Aliens

The asexual and sexual reproductive biological skills of the ancient Greek Mother Goddess Gaia is impossible as related. Her reproductive skills are akin to a human female giving birth not only to humans but to all sorts of other animals and even numerous monstrosities. No writer of mythology as fiction even back then would make such a fundamental error if he wanted his fiction to be credible. And that's just the point - it wasn't written to be read as fiction. The ancient Greeks didn't interpret Mother Goddess Gaia and her offspring as make-believe. What did they know that we don't today? What's the alternative? Aliens - a misinterpretation of what was actually extraterrestrial activity. The ultimate stories behind Mother Goddess Gaia's reproductive abilities centre around two rival alliances of various extraterrestrial races battling over Planet Earth, or at least their allocated part of it - Italy, Greece and the islands of the Aegean Sea.

In the beginning there was Chaos according to ancient Greek mythology. Chaos was neither a deity nor a personality, just an all encompassing dark void, lifeless matter with no distinguishing features which is as good a view of the cosmos as any by the ancients. Chaos might just as well have been their shorthand for explaining life, the universe and everything; the creation of life, the universe and everything, and probably was.

Chaos gave rise to Planet Earth, among other cosmic attributes, like darkness and energy. Planet Earth was known as Gaia (or Gaea). Gaia as Planet Earth is obviously a physical product, a natural creation of the cosmos. However, Gaia (Terra in the Roman pantheon) was also considered to be the daughter of Chaos, a mother goddess. We need to separate the two concepts (Gaia as Earth (the planet) and Gaia the Mother Goddess). Chaos as a formless void would have to via natural physical processes form independently Planet Earth first before the arrival of the Mother Goddess that would represent Planet Earth, Tellus or Terra, alternative names by which Planet Earth is known.

On the biological as opposed to the planetary side of things, Mother Goddess Gaia (representing the Earth, or of the Earth) had siblings called Nyx (which represented night), and Erebos (representing underground darkness). Later on down the track Chaos formed other siblings in the form of Eros (representing desire/energy) and Tartarus (the underworld).

Asexually, Mother Goddess Gaia gave rise to her two sons Uranus (Ouranos) and Pontus and the ten Ourea (Aitna, Athos, Helikon, Kithairon, Nysos, Olympus 1, Olympus 2, Oreios, Parnes, and Tmolus). Asexual reproduction is reproduction without benefit of a partner, usually termed parthenogenesis.

Mother Goddess Gaia does however ultimately take a husband and sexually mate - with her son Uranus (representing the sky or of the sky). From that union comes:

*The three elder and original Cyclopes: giants with one eye: Brontes, Steropes, and Arges.

*The original first generation six male Titans (Oceanus, Coeus, Crius, Hyperion, Iapetus, and Cronus) and the original first generation six female Titanesses (Theia, Rhea, Themis, Mnemosyne, Phoebe, and Tethys): all human looking. [Now the original Titans then did their 'be fruitful and multiply thing' and produce the second generation of Titans, making Mother Goddess Gaia a grandmother. These second generation Titans included Atlas and Prometheus - in case you were wondering if I had forgotten these important figures.]

*The three Hecatonchires: giants with 100 arms and hands and fifty heads apiece: Cottus, Briareus and Gyges.

Mother Goddess Gaia's son and hubby, Uranus, then met an uncomfortable fate at the hands of his son Cronus when the latter castrated the former!

Mother Goddess Gaia then, via a not-so-immaculate conception, being splattered with blood from the severed genitales of her son/husband Uranus, conceived:

*The three Furies (Erinyes): Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone though their actual number maybe however indefinite. The Furies were winged hags with snakes intertwined in their hair.

*The Gigantes: a race of giants born in full armour with spears.

*The Meliae: the ash tree nymphs. Nymphs tend to be beautiful eternally youthful amorous maidens (sounds like my kind of aliens) who attend to the needs of more senior deities. Nymphs are a sort of yeoman figure.

Mother Goddess Gaia mates sexually with her other son Pontus (representing the sea or of the sea). From that union came Nereus, Thaumas, Phorcys, Ceto and Eurybia, all relatively minor sea gods and goddesses. They appear pretty human looking.

However, later generation descendents of Mother Goddess Gaia's and Pontus's minor sea god and goddess were not quite so humanoid appearing. They include:

*The Harpies, predatory monsters; a woman's head on top of a vulture's body, wings and claws.

*The Graeae, a trio of swan-like women with grey hair who shared one eye and one tooth between them.

*The 50 Nereids who at least retain their maritime heritage being nymphs of the sea.

*The Gorgons, who on the other hand, were monstrous sisters with wings, claws and serpent hair, the most famous being the Medusa.

*The Muses, nine human-looking goddesses of the arts.

*Chiron - a centaur.

Mother Goddess Gaia also mates with Tartarus to produce the mother of all monsters, the Typhon (which Zeus later defeated in battle).

Mother Goddess Gaia mates with her first generation Titan offspring Oceanus. That union gave rise to Reousa/Creusa (a naiad or type of water nymph) and Triptolemus (a primordial man who flew across the land in a winged chariot and educated the whole of Greece in the agricultural sciences after being instructed himself by the goddess Demeter or Ceres if you're Roman).

Mother Goddess Gaia mates with Zeus (her grandson). Their offspring became Manes, the first king of Maeonia otherwise known as Lydia in western Asia Minor. The odd bit here is that two deities apparently have produced a mortal and not another deity!

Mother Goddess Gaia also mates with Poseidon (also her grandson). That produces offspring we know as Antaeus (a half-giant) and Charybdis (a sea monster).

The Python, that earth-dragon of Delphi is alleged to have a genetic type relationship with Mother Goddess Gaia - mother being the operative word. The daddy is unknown; perhaps this is another example of parthenogenesis in action. Python, as you'd guess from the name, is a serpent. The Greek Olympian deity Apollo did Python a mischief in mortal combat. Alas, Python is no longer among the living! Neither were the original Cyclopes as Apollo bumped them off which didn't please Zeus one little bit as the Cyclopes assisted him and his fellow Olympians in their war against the Titans, providing the high-tech necessary for victory (see below).

While that's not the absolute end of Mother Goddess Gaia's bedroom romps (actual or suspected), the above covers the basics and shows that Heinz has no monopoly on varieties, 57 or otherwise. Now Mother Goddess Gaia is not the be-all-and-end-all of the varieties of presumably extraterrestrial species that are part and parcel of Greek mythology, but I think it's safe to now at least conclude this segment on Mother Goddess Gaia remarkable reproductive prowess!

So how can there exist a whole multitude of species of deities, from those appearing human or humanoid, to the hideously monstrous, and yet are all genetically related to Mother Goddess Gaia?

Now I maintain that if you (or any other animal) produce offspring, while they would not of necessity all be identical, they will be fairly similar in appearance and conform to your own basic body plan. You're not going to produce one kid that will grow up to be ten feet tall while another attains only four feet. One kid won't have two eyes, the next three. The odds that your first born will have one head and two arms, but that your second born will have ten heads and twenty arms, is unlikely in the extreme. As this like-begets-like reproductive rule of thumb applies to you, I strongly suggest it should have applied to Mother Goddess Gaia.

IMHO, the ancient Greek Hesiod, who wrote up the origins of the Greek deities including Mother Goddess Gaia, and the world in his tome "Theogony" ["the birth of the gods"], should have and would have known better that to invent such outlandish sexual tales producing such an outlandish diversity of offspring. Presumably the people who read all of this also knew better - they knew that like-begets-like - just like the Norse hero Siegfried knew the dwarf Mime was lying to him about being his father because they didn't look anything remotely alike. Siegfried knew from observations of animals and their babies in the forest that like-begets-like. Mime got his comeuppances!

I conclude from all of this that Hesiod and whoever else came up with all this mythological reproductive nonsense was warped in the extreme; really puffing on the good stuff. Or perhaps, as in all mythology, there's a true kernel of corn in the mythological haystack waiting to be uncovered. Perhaps both Hesiod and his readers couldn't think of any other interpretation of reality but that Mother Goddess Gaia really did mate and produce offspring as wildly divergent as nymphs, 50 headed giants and the Cyclopes. Perhaps they had no concept of the extraterrestrial!

All of these collections of beings (Titans, Cyclopes, Meliae, etc.) are so different that each is unlikely in the extreme to be related to each other. Each is probably an alien race in its own right - alien as in various extraterrestrial intelligences.

So here's my alternative scenario. Chaos (the void, the cosmos) ultimately formed our Sun and solar system including 'Gaia' as Terra/Tellus, the Planet Earth. Eons ago that other but biological flesh-and-blood Mother Goddess Gaia and her sons (Uranus and Pontus) along with a host of her species (probably the Titans) arrived on Planet Earth as part and parcel of their boldly going, exploring the Milky Way Galaxy exercise. Liking what they found, they settled down, perhaps thinking of Planet Earth as an R&R spot, perhaps as a colony planet. Things then proceed pretty much according to Hesiod's mythology, except for one incorrect translation. There were no real acts of Mother Goddess Gaia reproducing which resulted in the creation of a high and unlikely diversity of other biological species. There were only those like-with-like sexual reproductions as in the original Titans creating the next generation of Titans (Atlas, Prometheus, etc.). Mother Goddess Gaia wasn't so much a mother of extreme biological diversity as a hostess (with the mostest) to that rather wide diversity of extraterrestrial species.

Mother Goddess Gaia threw out the welcome mat for other alien species that came to visit, or were invited to visit, just like parents might play host to a much broader diversity of humans than their offspring would typify. Their dinner party might include guests short and tall, old and young, black and white, normal and handicapped, as well as other species - cats, dogs and aquarium fish - for the sake of wide-ranging diversity, etc. In the case of Mother Goddess Gaia however, things got a bit more serious as Mother Goddess Gaia and the various extraterrestrial races she's associated with IMHO formed a block of allies against another block of allies - the Olympians (offspring of the original Titans and thus related to [Grand] Mother Goddess Gaia. The 'War of the Titans' was on the horizon and inevitable in a power struggle of epic proportions.

The extraterrestrial Cyclopes and that alien race, the Hecatonchires, which were once allied with Mother Goddess Gaia and the Titans, changed sides and supported the Olympians led by Zeus in their war against the Titans (the Titanomachy). Some Titans like Prometheus also switched sides and supported Zeus. In fact only about five of the original dozen Titans took up arms against Zeus and company. The Titans were actually led mainly by second generation Atlas (as first generation Cronus, Zeus's daddy, proved not to be so invincible when Zeus freed his swallowed brothers and sisters, and therefore wasn't really available for a leadership position). Zeus, as leader of the winners, however reserved a special punishment for Atlas as we all know. Atlas ended up with the weight of the world on his shoulders. As an aside, the 'War of the Titans' apparently happened in that region of Greece known as Thessaly.

It should be noted, in support of the extraterrestrial hypothesis, that the Titanomachy was a high-tech war, at least high-tech relative to what the ancient Greeks had. It was not a war fought with bows and arrows, slingshots, spears and swords, even though it did last an entire decade plus. Zeus had his thunderbolts - lightning, or perhaps in today's terminology, lasers or particle-beam weaponry. Hades had a 'magic' helmet providing invisibility - the ultimate form of stealth technology and camouflage. Poseidon had his 'magic' trident which he could use to produce storms (weather modification), earthquakes, tidal waves/tsunamis, floods and all manner of 'natural' disasters - and he was noted for having a very bad temper with a very short fuse attached.

The Titanomachy was also noted for the hurling of massive boulders (missiles?); the rumbling earth which became scorched with flame and the vast forests that were levelled. The oceans and rivers, probably courtesy of Poseidon, swelled and steamed and boiled. And of course the heavens shook as well. If extraterrestrial, I'm sure the Titanomachy was as much a 'star wars' as a terrestrial one.

Now all of this probably happened in Planet Earth's pre-human era. That's because 'humans' back then probably weren't the Homo sapiens we know today. Our modern species was created out of clay (as the ancient Greeks had no concept nor phrase for 'genetically engineered') by Prometheus (of gift of fire fame), a second generation Titan, and that 'clay' event probably happened way after the original extraterrestrial 'gods' (like Uranus) and 'goddesses' (like Gaia) arrived to set up shop. Thus, we probably have no actual eyewitnesses to what actually happened regarding the Titanomachy, as well as no real first hand accounts of Mother Goddess Gaia's reproductive prowess, only what happened can not be taken literally as it violates fundamental principles of reproductive biology. The tales were probably all handed down way after-the-fact to the ancient Greeks by the Olympians - the winners - with a lot of understandable mistranslation and misunderstanding in the nitty-gritty details eventuating.

But that's not quite the end of the story. Mother Goddess Gaia had another go at dethroning Zeus and his Olympians, the location allegedly shifting to Italy and the Phlegraean Fields. This time she threw the Gigantes (Giants) against them (the Gigantomachy). So, round two - it was Mother Goddess Gaia and the Gigantes versus Zeus and the Olympians, but with a little help from the demigod Hercules, the Fates and even Helius (the sun-god), Selene (the moon-goddess) and Eos (the goddess of the dawn, known to the Romans as Aurora). Now since Hercules was the offspring of a deity (Zeus) and a mortal, humans had to have been around to witness round two. What was the upshot of Mother Goddess Gaia's second attempt to grab power? All of the Gigantes became the late Gigantes, and nothing was ever heard from Mother Goddess Gaia ever again! In my version of the tale, Mother Goddess Gaia and those Gaia supporters who survived the Titanomachy and the Gigantomachy tucked tail (if they had one) and headed back to whatever planet(s) they originally came from. Eventually, for reasons unrecorded and unknown, Zeus and company ultimately did the same, or at least boldly went elsewhere.

One other observation is required. Normally, sexual relations between mother and son; mother and grandson; mother and just about anyone and anything else without benefit of a wedding ring, is considered taboo. That's of course according to human morals and ethics. However, if my premise is correct, and all and sundry belonged to various species of extraterrestrials, then we can't hold them to, or impose on them, our standards.

Science librarian; retired.

God of War 3 Chaos Mode 042

Pandora destruye la Llama del Olimpo, Kratos abre la Caja de Pandora, hacia la Pelea con Zeus, Pelea contra Zeus, Gaia aparece, Gaia habla con Zeus y Kratos, en el interior de Gaia, Pelea en el Corazon de Gaia. Pandora destroys the Flame of Olympus, Kratos opens the Pandora's Box, into the fight with Zeus, Fight Zeus, Gaia appears, Gaia speaks to Zeus and Kratos, inside Gaia, Fight in the Heart of Gaia

Comic Book Crossover Madness

Crossover!

Is there any more exciting word in the English language to a comics fan?

Or one that fills them with so much dread and so many bad memories?

In honour of DC's Identity Crisis - (a self-contained mini-series that will spill over into a number of other books such as Teen Titans and Outsiders), the Batman family's upcoming War Games event (where for three months, no less than eight Bat-related books will be taking part in a numbered crossover (only the excellent Birds of Prey escapes, because it isn't under editorial control of the Bat-office), and even Marvel's non-crossover Avengers Disassemble (which runs from now until October in a number of Marvel's books - although its not a crossover, it's a number of thematically linked stories), I've decided to dedicate the next few week's column to some of the 'great' crossovers of yester-year.

It seems not so long ago that every single year brought at least one big crossover from each of the big two companies - and even some smaller ones from Image, when they used to play more prominently in the superhero sandbox (does anyone remember the train wrecks that were Extreme Prejudice and Extreme Sacrifice?)- and these can be traced back to the daddy of them all, Marvel's Secret Wars.

Contest of Champions by Marvel ComicsIn 1982 Marvel published its first mini-series, Contest of Champions.

For the first time, most of the company's heroes were together in one place.

It wasn't very good.

Not long after, DC had a successful toy line with the Super Friends, some bright spark at Marvel thought it might be a good idea to mix the two ideas together...

Secret Wars by Marvel Comics1984: Secret Wars!
Grade: B- (for sheer originality!)

Originally designed to sell a toy line (which wasn't particularly successful), Secret Wars was a self contained twelve issue mini starring a host of heroes and villains plucked from Earth by the cosmic entity the Beyonder and set to battle for survival on a patchwork world that he made. Written by Jim Shooter and illustrated by Al Milgrom, the plot was fairly straightforward and, to be honest, could have been told in half the amount of issues that it was...an early example of pacing for trades?

Contest of Champions by Marvel ComicsThe series contained clunky dialogue and exposition (particularly painful are the scenes in the first issue where the heroes and villains take turns to introduce themselves - "I, Crusher Creel, the Absorbing Man, wuz watching the show outside!"), heavy handed plotting (Colossus falling in love with an alien healer) and some outright ridiculous plot developments (like the Hulk lifting an entire mountain off the heroes) but it was above all else fun.

The mini kicked off in the same month as the heroes vanished from their regular titles, but while they all returned from the wars the next issue, it took a full year to learn how the various changes had occurred - and chages there were. The Secret Wars had quite a few implications for a number of heroes - the Thing left the Fantastic Four to stay on the Secret Wars planet in his own series, his place on the team taken by the She-Hulk; a new Spider-Woman, Julia Carpenter, was introduced who would later have a short career in Freedom Force before joining the Avengers West Coast and Force Works for several years; and, of course, Spider-Man acquired a new alien costume that eventually went on to be one of his greatest enemies - Venom. But perhaps the most lasting effect of all was the concept of crossovers themselves...

Crisis on Infinite Earths by DC Comics1985: Crisis on Infinite Earths!
Grade: A (for lasting effects!)

DC's answer to the Secret Wars series was a year long crossover of its own. Born of DC's desire to clean house, Crisis on Infinite Earths surpassed its rival series in every way. The Monitor gathered the heroes of multiple earths to fight the collapse of the universe in the series by Marv Wolfman and George Perez, but it wouldn't be enough - some worlds and characters died, while others were merged into one brand new DC Universe; the characters that DC had recently acquired from Charlton (such as Blue Beetle, Captain Atom and the Question) became part of the DCU proper, as did the Marvel family (Captain Marvel, Black Adam, etc), though the good Captain wouldn't debut in the new continuity until the next year.

Crisis on Infinite Earths by DC ComicsDC also killed off two of its lower selling (yet still popular) iconic heroes - the Flash and Supergirl - and although both have been replaced since then, their deaths still resonate today, Barry Allen's especially.

The twelve issue mini was foreshadowed in a number of titles for several months, as the mysterious Monitor acted as arms dealer to several organisations. Given that this was explained away (rather unconvincingly) as him testing the heroes, we can only surmise that not all the writers and editors at DC were in on the story for the series.

Crisis on Infinite Earths by DC ComicsThe series also had an impact on the crossover format, as it span off into a number of crossovers in individual titles, many of which just featured a red sky and had little impact on the storyline as a whole.

Subsequent to the Crisis, DC underwent a soft reboot of sorts, retooling characters' origins such as in Man of Steel, Batman: Year One and Wonder Woman. Without a doubt as standard setter, no crossover before or since has had as long lasting or wide ranging effects.

Secret Wars II by Marvel Comics1985: Secret Wars II!
Grade: C (for the jerry curl and white jumpsuit!)

But Marvel, of course, would not be outdone. Not long after the conclusion of the first Secret Wars, and while the Crisis was still ongoing at their Distinguished Competition, they launched a sequel to their own mini series; the nine issue Secret Wars II was born.

In the series, the Beyonder came to Earth and took human form (actually a duplicate of Captain America's body but with an oh-so-eighties jerry curl) to learn about humanity. Of course, with an inevitability that bordered on the inane, he proceeded to encounter virtually every character in the Marvel Universe, not only in the mini but also in over 30 official crossover issues (and one more if you count a cheeky Deadpool issue many years later).

Secret Wars II by Marvel ComicsSome of the crossovers chapters were risible; in Daredevil, the Beyonder hires Matt Murdock to take over the world legally and pays him by restoring his sight - Murdock ends up rejecting both the job and the gift of sight; or the Spider-Man two parter where the Beyonder turns an office building into solid gold, and Peter Parker throws away a solid gold notepad. Some crossovers, however, had a little more clout to them - such as the New Mutants issues where the Beyonder killed the fledgling team, only to reanimate them later; it left emotional scars on the youngsters that lasted for quite some time.

Ultimately, though, Secret Wars II did what it set out to do: it sold - although not as well as the first Secret Wars. The crossovers would continue, but Marvel were already rethinking how to present them...

Legends by DC Comics1986: Legends!
Grade: B+ (for the Suicide Squad and Justice League!)

DC enjoyed the Crisis so much, they commissioned a new mini-series. Like their rival's Secret Wars II, Legends was to crossover into a number of different books - over 20 tie ins - as the heroes were plagued by mankind's distrust of them. Written by John Ostrander and Len Wein and illustrated by John Byrne and Karl Kesel, Legends saw Darkseid manipulating events on Earth through G. Gordon Godfrey (actually Glorious Godfrey, one of his lieutenants). It even featured then-president Ronald Reagan as he ordered the heroes not to use their powers.

Legends by DC ComicsOf course, much of the anti-hero hatred was down to mind control so once the truth was revealed, everything was back to normal. While it was a bit of a cop-out in the end, Legends did launch Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel into the new DC Universe, so it can't be totally dismissed. It also launched a number of new series - Wally West took on Barry Allen's old title role in Flash, Amanda Waller formed the Suicide Squad, and an off-beat collection of heroes formed into the new - and often hilariously funny - Justice League under Maxwell Lord.

Yes, Legends did have some impact - enough to for them to try it again the next year...

Mutants Massacre by Marvel Comics1986: The Mutant Massacre!
Grade: A- (for the trauma!)

Marvel, meanwhile, had another idea - instead of having a mini series, 1986 saw the advent of the mutant crossover in the form of the Mutant Massacre. Running through Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and X-Factor (then the only three x-books, if you can believe that!) and crossing over into Power Pack, Thor and Daredevil the relatively short storyline detailed the assault on the Morlocks - a community of misshapen mutants living under Manhattan - by the Marauders.

Mutants Massacre by Marvel ComicsThe Marauders were a team of mostly forgettable villains, except for one called Sabretooth. He had bounced around the Marvel Universe for a few years, previously showing up only in Iron Fist (and later in Power Man & Iron Fist) and Spectacular Spider-Man. This was his first appearance in the x-books. Even here, he may have just been a clone, as most of the other villains were eventually revealed to be, working for Mr Sinister. They were also, it was revealed years later, aided by Gambit - but this was a retrospective amendment to the story, which was made years Gambit at the time wasn't even a gleam in Chris Claremont's eye.

Again, there were consequences; a host of minor supporting characters were killed, Colossus, Shadowcat and Nightcrawler were injured and went to Muir Isle to recuperate, where they would eventually form Excalibur, and X-Factor's resident millionaire, Angel, took a hit when hi wings were so badly damaged that they had to be amputated, which lead to his suicide and subsequent revival by Apocalypse as Death, his winged horseman. More importantly, it paved the way for what was to become an annual event - the mutant crossover.

Millennium by DC Comics1987: Millennium!
Grade: D (for the sheer awfulness!)

DC thought they were onto something, but why spread it over six months if you could do it in two? Millennium was an eight issue weekly mini series, again with over 30 crossovers in the two months it ran, where the heroes of Earth were once again forced to face a huge threat; the Manhunters (a race of cosmic robots originally created as a police force by the Guardians) were going to kill eight humans who would ascend to the next level of evolution, and the heroes had to defend them. Millennium by DC ComicsTheir mission was complicated by the fact that almost every hero's life had been infiltrated by a Manhunter agent to some degree - for example, Superman's agent was Lana Lang, who had been brainwashed for years.

It was a mess. The series launched the eight new characters as the New Guardians, but the series was short lived. If they wanted to have any readers left, the next crossover would have to be pretty spectacular...

Fall of the Mutants by Marvel Comics1987: The Fall of the Mutants!
Grade: B (for the common themes!)

Not one to let a good idea die a natural death, Marvel had another mutant crossover.

This one was slightly different. Rather than tell one huge story, The Fall of the Mutants told three separate ones which shared common themes (namely that it was a bad time to be a mutant); in X-Factor the team battled Apocalypse as he launched an attack on New York; in New Mutants, the young heroes dealt with an attack on the island of the Fall of the Mutants by Marvel ComicsAni-men; and in Uncanny X-Men, everyone's favourite mutants died (don't worry, they got better!) in Dallas as they battled the age old Adversary- oh, and Wolverine managed to throw down with the Hulk on the way there. The various strands of the story crossed over into Captain America, Daredevil, Hulk, Power Pack and the Fantastic Four.

Fall of the Mutants by Marvel ComicsOnce more, there were ramifications - X-Factor went public as mutant superheroes, the New Mutants lost Cypher, one of their members, and the X-Men moved to Australia for a couple of years to act as a more covert strike team.

There would be more mutant merriment the next year, but Marvel also had plans for a new type of crossover...

That's all for now, but next time I'll be looking at perhaps the most fun crossover of all - DC's Invasion! - and I'll be taking a look at the homes of some of the weakest crossovers ever made - the dreaded Annual events!

'Til next time!

Rich Lovatt is a comic book enthusiast and writer. You can read his daily ramblings on his blog or read his column or Comic Book Reviews at http://www.paperbackreader.com

Musical Baby Names

Music has become an important part in our daily life. Music will inspires and touches daily lives in any culture. Eventually, many parents will turn to music in finding the perfect baby names.

Musical baby names are more common on female baby names. The more common examples are Aria, Carol, Grace, Harmony, Jazz, Melody, Lyric, Rhapsody, Serenade, Sonata, Song, and Viola.

Aria is a solo opera performance. The single performer sings solo that is accompanied by an elaborate melody. The shorter version of Aria is Arietta which is also a pretty good musical baby name.

Carol is English and French baby name which is derive from Latin word Choraula or Greek word Choraules. In Latin, it means choral song, or accompanist. In Greek, it means chorus. Thus, the Choral and Chorale was derived. The common variants of Carol are Carola, Carolan, Carolina, Carolann, Carolanne, Caroline, Carole, Carolyn, Carolyne, and Carolynn.

Grace is a one of the virtuous baby names which made it thru the baby names. Grace is also derived from a Latin word Gratia. It means effortless beauty. We often attach Grace after an excellent performance from singers, bands, orchestras, choirs, or groups. The common variants of Grace are Gracelyn, Graciela, Gracious, Grata, Gracielle, Gracina, and Gracie.

Harmony means the notes, instruments, and lyrics that work in perfect coordination and timing. Originally, Harmony came from Latin. The common variants of Harmony are Harmonia, Harmonica, Harmonee, Harmonie, Harmoney, Harmoni, and Harmonita. In Greek Mythology, Harmonia is also a Greek goddess of order and daughter of Aphrodite.

The song consists of lyric, and melody. Eventually, Lyric and Melody has become a baby name. Lyrics are the actual words spoken on a song, while Melody is the sweet succession of sounds from a song.

The musical instruments play a big role on baby names. Like Viola, the baby name may have come from violin. Chime is another baby name meaning the edge of a drum. And, Rebec is a three string instrument that the body is pear-shaped and neck is slender.

The different rhythmic music pattern and sound also became baby names like Cadence (rhythmic flow of sounds in language), Carillon (sound of tuned bells), Euphony (sweet acoustic sound of words), Jazz (ragtime and blues music), Rhapsody (musical recitation of poems), Sonata (three to four movements in contrasting forms), Tala (traditional South Asian rhythmic pattern), and Madrigal (complex polyphonic sound of a voice in secular text).

The terms and notes on music inspire for cool and unique baby names. For example, Fermata is a musical baby name which means prolonged musical note.

Dennis Estrada is a webmaster of unique baby names, how to convert from male baby cames to female baby names, and baby names meaning websites.

A Brief Historical Guide to Mykonos

It is practically impossible to write about a Greek island without referencing its place in mythology or without crossing fact with fiction. Mykonos is no exception. This small sun-kissed isle was the supposed location of a rather ferocious inter-generational tussle between Zeus and the Titans, when the sons of the Gods succeeded in overthrowing the Gods themselves. It is also the birthplace of Artemis & Apollo, the twin offspring of the aforementioned and rather promiscuous deity. So the story goes Leto, daughter of one of the Titans, was seduced by Zeus and fell pregnant. Upon hearing of this, Hera, Zeus' wife banished Leto from all land so that she had nowhere to give birth. Fortunately, Zeus' brother Poseidon, took pity and gave her Delos, a diminutive rocky outcrop about 2 kilometres off the coast of Mykonos which was not chained to the floor of the ocean but rather floated and was therefore exempt from Hera's persecution.

The religious significance of the island made it a place of pilgrimage and gave both Delos and Mykonos perhaps their first taste of tourism. In the 6th Century BC Athens took steps to ensure that the island was properly fit for the worship of the Gods by digging up all graves within the sight of the temple and moving them elsewhere. However further action was needed for such a sacred site and it was later decided that all bodies on the island irrespective of their location should be removed. Furthermore, no person was allowed to be born or die there, so anyone looking remotely like doing either was promptly shipped off!

Located between mainland Greece and modern day Turkey and with the protection offered by its 3 neighbouring islands (the Cyclades), Delos made a vital trading port despite it having hardly any natural resources of its own. Its fine tactical location did not go unnoticed by many and over the centuries it was conquered and plundered by practically everyone to have sailed past it. The fingerprints of various cultures from the Phoenicians to the Romans, to the Saracens have resulted in a unique World Heritage Site which offers an intriguing glimpse of fallen empires. It's enough to make one feel rather melancholy, though that doesn't last very long under the big bright skies of the Mediterranean.

In more recent times, Mykonos suffered greatly under German occupation, but the arrival of the fifties brought a renewed sense of vigour and purpose. Legends of the Silver Screen Brigitte Bardot, Sophia Loren and Grace Kelly all visited the island adding to its allure, but it was fashion icon Jackie O who really raised Mykonos' profile, granting it mythical status all over again. She sailed into town aboard the good ship Christina, perhaps the most luxurious yacht of all time featuring a dance floor that transformed into a swimming pool! She fell head over heels for Mykonos' charming harbour with its rows of gorgeous houses overhanging the crystalline Aegean Sea, its white cuboid dwellings and the haphazard paths that promised adventure (and more boutiques no doubt!). The glamorous 60's gave way to the hedonistic 70's and travellers from far and wide were drawn to the island to shed layers and witness the famous Crimson sunset which still inspires artists, poets and bands the world over and often acts as a backdrop to legendary parties hosted by the world's greatest DJ's.

Being an island, the locals connection with the sea is a strong one and nowhere is this more strongly exhibited than in the hundreds of beautiful chapels and churches that dot the land, many of them built for the safe return of sailors. As you might expect from a community of sea-farers, eating on the island is an exceptional experience and there is no shortage of choice from the traditional taverna to contemporary fine-dining. As with everything in Mykonos, service is warm, relaxed and charming, and therein lies its greatest asset; the hospitality that it has been practicing for centuries. So raise a glass to Mykonos, a haven of elegance and simplicity, an island of myths & legends.

Sarah-Leigh Shenton is Head of Marketing for Abercrombie & Kent Villas, a private rental villa specialist with villas in Greece as well as Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. Sarah-Leigh's role takes her to some of Greece's most beautiful regions, including Mykonos, Crete and the Peloponnese.

Sarah-Leigh can be contacted on slshenton@akvillas.com
or see her web-site: luxury villas Greece

greek pagan

greek pagan religion

Leadership by the Coach

Leadership

Those workers want to know how much you care, before they care how much you know. - Manufacturer in Iowa

Leader Expectancy

I had a player a few years ago that told me that she had studied about me in her organizational behaviour class one day. I asked her to explain. She said that the professor talked about the Pygmalion Effect in class and that she could see that was how I coached her. Actually I was pleased to hear that she thought of me in that manner as a coach. That is exactly how I try to coach. Pygmalion was a figure from Greek mythology. He was King of Cyprus and fell in love with a female statue that he had carved and which Aphrodite brought to life. This concept refers to the self-fulfilling prophecy that can occur from our expectations and beliefs about others' abilities and characteristics.

Researchers have studied teacher expectancy for many years and they have shown that a teacher usually gets what they expect from a student or player or worker. I always set high standards for players and push them to work toward achieving these standards. I believe in them and try to encourage them to work harder than any competitor they might encounter. I do not want any of my teams to lose because another team out works them!

In 1968 Rosenthal and Jacobson published a research study on "Pygmalion in the Classroom" which showed that teachers' expectations in the classroom were self-fulfilling prophecies because the expectations of the teacher were fulfilled by the students. Over the past 35 years researchers have studied this phenomenon and they have found that coaches' expectations can affect their players performance in a positive and negative way.

How the Pygmalion Effect or coach expectancy works:

1. The coach has an expectation of an player

2. The coach encourages the player to perform to the coach's expectation of them

3. The coach's behaviour toward the player affects the player's behaviour and performance

4. The player's performance reflects the coach's expectations

Steps to use for positive coach expectancy

1. Base your expectations of the player on their performance and judge them on their performance and how it affects the team.

2. Be ready to alter your expectations of the player especially if you judged them earlier to be of low ability

3. Design practices so that all players have an opportunity to improve their skill.

4. Watch players at practice to see if they are working on the skills. You can use an assistant coach or parent to monitor this for you.

5. Give the players specific corrective feedback when they make an error. Tell them what you want them to do in a tone of voice that says you believe they can do it. State it in the positive!

6. Watch your own body language to make sure you are showing the players that you believe in them. You can use an assistant or a parent to give you this kind of feedback.

7. Attribute errors by players to lack of effort, lack of practice or repetition of the skill. This will help to encourage the players to have a positive attitude and work toward improving their skill. Do not attribute poor performance to lack of ability. That is a fast way for a player to lose interest in the sport.

8. "Whether you think you will fail or succeed, you're right." - Henry Ford. Use Henry's quote to encourage motivation for players to reach their potential.

9. Tell them success stories of people who failed many times over many years before finding success such as:

Abe Lincoln was elected President in 1860. What many people do not know is that between 1830-1860 he failed in business twice, had a nervous breakdown after his sweetheart died, was defeated for government offices 8 times including being defeated when he ran for vice president.

Thomas Edison finally invented the light bulb after 10000 attempts.

John Wooden coached the UCLA basketball team for 16 years before he won an NCAA title and then he won 10 of them, 6 in a row!

You may have stories closer to home that you can use. There may be successful stories of former players.

Shaping Behaviour

B.F. Skinner is the founder of behaviourism. According to behaviourism, whatever is rewarded is repeated. Coaches can use the following approach.

1. Identify the behaviours that you want to be repeated. For example, hustling back on defence may be a goal for the team.

2. Once you identify the behaviour you want practice the behaviour often, encourage work toward achieving the goal and reward the player when they complete the goal. When the player hustles back on defence after making an error on offence reinforce the player immediately for their effort to hustle back.

3. Give specific instructions of the desired behaviour and demonstrate how it should be performed. If you are not comfortable demonstrating the skill use players who do the skill well to demonstrate. A picture is worth 1000 words.

4. Give immediate, specific feedback. When a player hustles back on defence stop the play and point out the desired behaviour as being well done. Show some pleasure in your actions or voice when you point it out.

5. If the behaviour is poor then give the appropriate feedback to correct the behaviour and encourage the player to make the correction. Players do make mistakes so make the corrections. We learn from our mistakes when we work to make the correction.

6. In the media and publicly praise the players for behaviour you want to see when they accomplish it. If the team wins because they hustled back on defence then say it.

7. Use school or club bulletin boards to praise the players for good work. Post newspaper clippings, photos, team standings, etc..

Remember: what is rewarded is repeated!

Tips for the Media

1. Talk in terms of "we " and not "I" to the media.

2. Give public credit to the team for the wins.

3. Take responsibility for the losses. Do not blame the players. Give credit to the opponent if it is deserved.

4. When the team wins describe the things they did to accomplish this. Here is where you can talk about the players hustling or exhibiting the behaviours you want from them as a coach.

5. If the team loses then say what the team has to work on for a better performance but DO NOT BLAME THE PLAYERS.

Selecting a Captain

Here is one area where there was no collective agreement by the coaches whom I interviewed. Some coaches had one captain and others had two. The selection process was:

1. Coach chooses the captain because it is a working role and the captain needs to represent the coach to the players.

Usually the captain was a veteran player who was loyal to the program and exemplified the philosophy of the coach and program. These coaches used the captain in the role of assisting with team chemistry and educating the younger players about the program.

2. Players choose the captain(s). In this situation the captain(s) were the players' representative(s) to the coach so the coaches felt that the players needed to choose their representative.

3. Coach does not have a captain but rotates the senior players to go out and meet the referees at the start of the game.

Note: However all coaches believed that the senior players were responsible for leading the younger players. They also felt that the natural leaders would lead the team in a positive direction. They used the leaders to set the team standards. Once again it goes back to team selection. When you select good people they lead in the right direction.

Post Game Meeting

I keep this consistent. After our cool down I talk to the players for 2 minutes. Maybe! My belief is that win or lose players our emotionally spent and they cannot concentrate on what you are saying to them. Try this:

1. Cool down stretch immediately after the game.

2. Tell them when and where we will meet next.

Over the next 24 hours:

1. Review the videotape

2. Analyse the statistics or any information that you have,

3. Talk to assistants,

4. Think about the corrections that we need make to get ready for the next opponent,

5. Write a team evaluation of the game (no more than 1 page if that) and an individual evaluation for each player (2-3 sentences each), and

6. Prepare the next practice.

7. If the team is depressed after the game then look to the chapter on confidence for suggestions.

At Practice

1. Briefly (5 Minutes maximum) talk to them about the game at the start of practice. Do not waste your valuable practice time.

2. You may want to use a small videotape analysis of the game to show them any points you want to stress. If you do this do so in the 5-minute pre practice talk.

3. During practice point out when you are making corrections to address errors made in the previous game. DO NOT USE A BLAMING VOICE. USE A TEACHING VOICE

After Practice

1. If the team lost the game or played poorly tell them that we have fixed our errors and all we have to do is execute like we did today at practice. Now we're ready to play.

2. If the team has won and played well congratulate them and say that we are moving one step closer to our goal.

3. If the team has won and played poorly work them hard and say it is not acceptable to perform poorly when we can do better. "This kind of performance is not what our program stands for" is a good quote to use here. We are just practising poor performance and against a good team poor performance like that is not going to help us reach our goals.

4. Hand out the team and individual evaluations.

There are times when you have to step on the gas and times when you have to wait to do it. You cannot always step on the gas after every poor performance. That is the art of coaching-knowing when to step on the gas and when to let it ride for a little longer. Always coach them to have a better performance the next game whether the team has won or lost.