Celebrate John Lee Hooker's Centenary!

Thanks for the link, Charmagne!

How will you celebrate John Lee Hooker's one hundredth birthday? Detroit Metro Times

Greece: Higher Tax on Tsipouro? The Final Blow. Tο αφορολήγητο.

From Kathimerini

"Tsipouro and raki producers risk losing their favourable tax status if Greece loses its battle at the European Court of Justice, following a referral on Wednesday by the European Commission.
A negative ruling based on the government’s failure to contain illegal bulk sales of the two traditional Greek spirits, will have a significant impact not just on small-scale producers who are licensed to produce just enough to cover household consumption, but also on the major Greek distillers".

The last straw...

European Court to Decide if Raki and Tsipouro Will Receive Full Tax Rate, Greek Reporter
Greek taxpayers overdue debts reached 94bn euros in November!

Heard on Greek radio (internet) this morning, a Minister claiming that 4 million Greek tax-payers haven't paid their taxes. Maybe I misunderstood?

Cartoon, Andreas Petroulakis, Kathimerini

Arguments still raging about the amount that can be earned before income tax becomes payable (το αφορολήγητο) -. the reduction of the tax-free income limit.

And they want low-taxed tsipouro?

Of course, it should be free to pensioners (the over-70's) who inhabit and maintain the way of life in the underpopulated mountain villages.

Private consultants and NHS cuts

From inews - How £18m of taxpayers’ money was spent on private consultants to plan NHS cuts

"In one area, STP leaders even felt under pressure from NHS England’s regional team to increase the amount of money they were spending on management and consultancy support".

Tor Eigeland, Photographer; Other Worlds; Dukes, Dorchester, February 17 - March 22, 2017.

Tor Eigeland

From Dorset Echo

My favourite exhibition image - 'Near village of El Borg on the Mediterranean coast'

Timeless - Images of Egypt

Marsh Arabs

International Flights to Ioannina Airport begin in June 2017 (DAT, from Copenhagen)

Details, according to Epirus Gate

English summary:

Flights beginning in June, from Copenhagen to Ioannina, with Danish airline Danish Air Transport (DAT), initially every Monday, by Airbus A320. The flights are scheduled from June 5th until October 16th.

The hours of flights defined as follows:

From Copenhagen (CPH) O7.15 arriving in Ioannina (IOA) 11.05
From Ioannina: 12.05, arriving in Copenhagen 13.55 (local times).

Depending on passenger traffic, DAT flights may be added on other days of the week. Flights for specific dates are already ticketing. Mandag, Grækenland / Ioannina (with bus connections to Parga, Sivota, Seranda, Albania), from 5/6 - 16/10 .

Tourists landing at Ioannina airport may have Parga, Sivota and Saranda in Albania. as their final destinations. Other airlines have apparently shown interest in operating charter flights to and from Ioannina airport, eg from France, Great Britain, Germany, Rumania, Russia, etc,

From the original Greek article
Στο επίσημο πρόγραμμα των πτήσεων από τη Κοπεγχάγη για τα Γιάννινα, βρίσκονται πλέον οι πτήσεις της Δανέζικης αεροπορικής εταιρείας DANISH Air Transport (DAT), που αρχικά θα γίνονται κάθε Δευτέρα με αεροσκάφη Αirbus –Α320. Οι πτήσεις είναι προγραμματισμένες από 5 Ιουνίου, μέχρι 16 Οκτωβρίου. Οι ώρες των πτήσεων καθορίστηκαν ως εξής:

-Αναχώρηση από Κοπεγχάγη (CPH) O7.15 με άφιξη στα Ιωάννινα (IOA) 11.05

-Αναχώρηση από Ιωάννινα : 12.05 με άφιξη στη Κοπεγχάγη 13.55 (οι ώρες είναι τοπικές).
Στη συνέχεια ανάλογα με την επιβατική κίνηση, θα προστεθούν πτήσεις κι άλλες ημέρες της εβδομάδας. Ήδη για τις συγκεκριμένες ημερομηνίες, έχει αρχίσει η έκδοση εισιτηρίων.

Dag
Mandag
Grækenland/Ioannina
Parga, Sivota, Seranda/Albanien
5/6 - 16/10
DAT

Όπως η ίδια η εταιρεία ανακοίνωσε, στο αεροδρόμιο Ιωαννίνων θα προσγειώνονται αεροσκάφη με τουρίστες που θα έχουν τελικό προορισμό, κυρίως Πάργα, Σύβοτα και Άγιους Σαράντα στην Αλβανία. Εκεί θα μεταφέρονται με λεωφορεία από το αεροδρόμιο Ιωαννίνων.Για τους προορισμούς αυτούς, ενδιαφέρον έδειξαν κι άλλες αεροπορικές εταιρείες από την Ευρώπη για πτήσεις τσάρτερ από το αεροδρόμιο Ιωαννίνων. Δεν αποκλείεται στο αμέσως επόμενο χρονικό διάστημα, να ανακοινωθούν κι άλλα δρομολόγια εταιρειών από Γαλλία, Μ. Βρετανία, Γερμανία, Ρουμανία, Ρωσία κ.λ.π, που ήδη συγκεντρώνουν στοιχεία για το αεροδρόμιο Ιωαννίνων.

Elisabeth Frink, Transformation; Germaine Greer Talks About Elisabeth Frink, Hauser & Wirth, Bruton, Somerset

Sold out: GERMAINE GREER TALKS ABOUT ELISABETH FRINK, THURS 23 FEB 2017


ELISABETH FRINK: TRANSFORMATION, 19 JAN – 7 MAY 2017 Including Video and Press Release

"On view until 7 May 2017, Hauser and Wirth Somerset presents a major solo exhibition of sculpture by the late Elisabeth Frink. The exhibition ‘Transformation’ comprises a selection of Frink’s distinctive bronzes produced in the 1950s and 1960s, alongside a series of drawings that highlight the artist’s skill as a draughtsman. Outside in the grounds are some of Frink’s most important sculptures from her later life, including the celebrated Riace Warriors...

Visible through the windows of the gallery in the Cloister Courtyard are the menacing figures of the ‘Riace’ men, inspired by the discovery in 1972 of two full-size ancient Greek bronzes, found under the sea off the coast of Italy. Frink viewed the original Riace Warriors on display in Florence and was struck by their sinister appearance. The introduction of colour and the painted faces can be traced to Frink’s visit to Australia and an interest in aboriginal art".


In Dorchester, Dorset Martyrs Memorial, Gallows Hill, Dorchester

Frink's 'Martyrs', Dorset Magazine,pdf