Mary Mary

Articles & Interviews

by Mary Stefanou

The world of fashion magazines is not all milk and honey and undoubtedly it does not make any exceptions for you, who wears a tampon 6 days per month and you have to run to find a 24hour open drugstore in order to get the morning after pill, just because last night you…went too far. The film “The devil wears Prada” based on Lauren Weisberger’ s novel, presents the fashion industry world vividly with all its complexes, intrigues and the pack drills that each rookie has to tolerate, so that she does not end up…a simple housewife like her mum!

So, you are a young graduate of journalism, eager to please, full of enthusiasm and ideas. You have an excellent C.V. and an apparent propensity for…being a workaholic. In other words, you are the ideal candidate for the ultra exploitative working jungle but for the moment, you are grateful for this. You live in your rose-tinted bookish world of cultural events, noble journalistic ideals and dreams where interviews with George Grammatikakis, Salman Rushdie and Tom Robbins make up your everyday routine. Unfortunately, the only vacancy on the horizon is the one of the assistant…to the assistant editor in a fashion magazine! Back to reality? It depends on how you look at it. The truth is, fashion is not precisely your strongest point: glamorous shows, photo shoots, editorials, models, stylists. A playmobile world covered with a golden cloud, too conceited and fake for the way you were brought up, not to mention what Salman would say if he ever found out about your “guilty” past. Peanuts! After all, he himself started his career in advertising, didn’t he? The bottom line is, you’re not sacrificing your dreams, and you’re just delaying them a little. Remember Macchiavelli’s theory, “the end justifies the means”? In your case, it means that you have to do your military service next to a female Lucifer in high heels and Hermes scarves, madam Miranda Priestley: a notorious veteran bitch in the fashion industry, hard as granite and satanic as 500 murderous calories masquerading as vanilla ice cream. Will she give you a hard time? Is the Pope…a catholic? Obviously, there’s no doubt about it. Think of her like a sergeant in a marine camp. Your office will become Hell’s lobby. For a hyena like her, the most sophisticated pack drills are her amusement. She enjoys torturing you. She has a right royal time humiliating you and exposing how insignificant and insufficient you are. You hate her and at the same time you cannot help admire her chameleonic powers to turn from a dear… to a cobra in minutes. Deep down, you feel sorry for her. You think of her difficult childhood, the crap she had to take in order to have the world at her feet one day. Be patient. After all, no pain no gain. Later, you will thank her. She will teach you how to survive, she will be your coach in the slippery arena of life, she will dissolve all your hallucinations, and she will make you a… man! For the time being you are the gofer. You carry packets; you are a waitress, a cleaner, a side –kick, an ass-kisser. “A lot of girls would die for a job like this” claims the reincarnation of Goering, also known as your boss. Naturally, to be considered as a member of high society’s staff, you have to make your life your job or perhaps your job your life. It requires that you are treated as trash without complaining and that your dignity is shredded. It means selling yourself at parties and galas accompanied by high society’s regulars. It means handshakes with the industrialist, Mr. Bigstoker and the plastic surgeon, Mr Moneygrabber. It means air kissing with loaded grandes dames and snobbish party animals with clinically whitened teeth, opportunists, stuffed shirts and hip- swinging designers. It means being surrounded by sex symbols, downing cocktails and collapsing on the first gay shoulder you find in front of you. It means wanting to cry, but instead of that…you take it out on your credit card. You leave your parents and your friends. You leave your boyfriend to wait for you like a male Penelope, while you “excel” as…the boss’s doormat! In your free time you acquire the habit of concocting endless lists of the faults of the vampire that sucks your blood: She is an egomaniac, a manipulator, a bitch, not forgetting she’s bad-mannered, egocentric, frustrated, and insatiable for power, conceited, unscrupulous, uneducated, and sexually deprived! Sexually deprived? As a matter of fact…what about you? You look at yourself in the mirror searching for signs of transmutation. Horrified, you discover three… grey hairs that were not there last week! Is it possible that you are beginning to look like the person you hate the most? Get behind me, Satan!

Welcome to the jungle

Following the classical, successful recipe of Helen Fielding’s “Bridget Jones’s diary”, “The Devil wears Prada” is a film that doesn’t avoid stereotypes found also in novels such as “The Nanny Diaries” and “Sex and the City”: women heroes in their early thirties on the point of emotional dryness and nervous breakdown. Critics accused the movie of being nothing more than another romantic novel dedicated to working girls. However, its enormous popularity (it was translated into 27 languages and remained on the best seller list of the New York Times for six months) was the catalyst for its transfer to the big screen with Meryl Streep playing the role of the bitchy editor of Runway magazine. She undertook the duty to impersonate the iron lady of the fashion industry who avoids the Cinderella syndrome and doesn’t take “no” for an answer. Looking splendid in her fifties, powerful, tyrannical and influential like Messalina, Miranda steps over dead bodies taking advantage of her collaborators’ fear and lack of determination. The incredible resemblance of Weisberger with the real editor of Vogue magazine, Anna Wintour, is merely coincidental according to the writer who... swears that the novel’s characters are fictional, taken from her friends’ experiences and her own. The writer was accused of presenting Pristley as a one dimensional character, emphasizing her authoritarianism. This is to make Andrea Sachs (in the film she is played by Anne Hathaway) likeable, representing a more healthy and balanced attitude towards life that reconciles her need for professional recognition with her desire for love and tenderness. The whole point? Obviously…a happy ending!

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..Alice Cooper:..

“Myself and Alice are two completely separate people”

The legend guy who brought horror theatrics to rock n’ roll before Kiss and long before the appearance of the gothic movement. The rock star who’s been on stage for more than 35 years and has been through as many faces as Bowie. Yes, Alice Cooper is still preoccupied with guillotines, boas, electric chairs and all the relative stuff. He still uses his whip on stage to scare rubber snakes while singing about his nightmares. Apart from exploring the limits of human madness, he also plays golf and enjoys that he has been honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He doesn’t’ like to talk about politics, he would never participate in a reality show and he recommends that we should listen to the…Beatles! Since 1999 he’s also been releasing one album after the other: “The life and crimes of Alice Cooper”, “Brutal Planet”, “Dragontown” and the most recent one (released in 2003) “The eyes of Alice Cooper”. In the following interview, Frank Zappa’s discovery surpasses the icon of master of disaster revealing a personality full of humor and energy. Rock n’ roll villain is still as contradictory as…“in”!

You seem to be extremely productive nowadays. You have released four albums in four years…

We’ve been doing a lot of albums recently. Actually, when this tour is over, I’ll go back again and start working on the next one. So we’re a kind of writing the album while we’re on the road. I think it’ll be very much like “ The eyes of Alice Cooper”. A short of loose and hard rock.

What is the power that feeds your creativity?

I think it is being a lyricist. I’ve always considered myself a little bit humorous when it comes to people. People are just to me the best source of writing. Humans are full of comedy and disaster, horror and romance. I like the irony and the hypocrisy and the fact that people are insane! I believe that’s really what people are interested in in songs about human beings, because they see a lot of themselves in them. Sometimes there’re good things, sometimes there’re things that you laugh about.

You have recorded “The eyes of Alice Cooper” in just two weeks. Right?

Yes. Actually, I get a little bit wary about highly produced records. I like records that are a little looser and have a lot more feel to them. Sometimes I like to get in the studio and do a song a day rather than spend ten days on one song. In my opinion, that sometimes kills the song. And I didn’t want to do any overdubbing, because I wanted the band to just play it the way that a real band would play. I really like putting the emphasis on the band than on the production.

I wonder, the word “Detroit” means a lot to you?

Oh yeah! That’s home-town. A lot of great bands came out of Detroit. Most of them, really good hard rock bands. You know, like The Stooges, Iggy, MC5…

What do you miss the most from that period of your life?

The fact that all the bands were really good live bands and not just studio. If you went to see the Stooges live, MC5 or Alice Cooper those bands were really good live bands. I think that now you’re getting a few bands like Jet, White Stripes, The Strokes, The Vines, The Hives…

Do you think they revitalize that good old atmosphere of stage –show?

I like that sort of garage –rock sound. I think that sometimes the best bands are just rock n’ roll bands. Like the Rolling Stones who were basically a garage band. That’s what makes them great. I think I prefer bands like that than seeing a band that’s very highly produced.

I would really like to know how Alice Cooper was as a teenager. For ex. what did he use to put on his bedroom walls?

Oh, well! I was sixteen years old when The Beatles came out. So of course, I was a big fan of them. I also admired all the early British bands. I used to hang up posters of The Beatles, The Who, and The Rolling Stones. When we started our band in 1964 we were sort of the America’s answer to the British invasion.

Do you still appreciate the music of the Beatles?

Absolutely. I think that every single rock n’ roll band from Ozzy to… I don’t care who it is, has been influenced by The Beatles. Maybe they won’t admit it, but it is very apparent. The Beatles were sort of like…going to musical college. If you listened to an album of Beatles you would say “That’s so great! How come we can’t write songs like that?” To me that’s inspiration.

You once said that you have created the rock n’ roll villain…

We sort of brought theatrics to rock n’ roll. We brought the stage, the fact that you could take a stage and turn it into something theatrical. Not just musical but also visual. To me a stage was like an empty canvas. And then a painter would look at the empty canvas and say “well, now I have to fill it in and make a painting out of it. “When we were doing an album like “Welcome to my nightmare”, to me it was very easy to take that stage and turn it into a nightmare. You just needed a bed, things to come from under the bed, you needed lighting, so that when the audience looked at the stage as the song started, they could see the nightmare and hear the nightmare at the same time. And I would say that after breaking that “taboo”, then you saw bands like Bowie, The spiders from Mars, The Kiss. All the theatrical bands happened after that.

I understand Alice Cooper is something like a stage scapegoat…

Myself and Alice are two completely separate people. Basically I escape into this character. It’s an alter ego that I get to go into. When I get upon the stage and do all the stuff that I do as Alice, I feel very cleansed, like I got rid of all my demons. It’s kind of refreshing. I think that rock n’ roll needs a villain. I am glad to be that villain. Sometimes the villain is scary,sometimes it is funny though too…

You have declared that you don’ t perform some of your old songs about necrophilia anymore. How do you think this decision affects your audience?

I don’t really think it does. If I think a song is humorous enough then I go ahead and do it. It’s good satire. For example, a song like “Cold Ethyl” which is about necrophilia is so funny that if you don’t get the joke then that’s your fault.

After 35 years on stage would you accuse Alice Cooper of “musical crimes”?

There’s always a song that you look back and you go “why did we ever write that song?” You never know why. But after 26 albums I can’t think of any album that I wasn’t really proud of. Each one represented a different period of my life.

I have the feeling that maybe some record companies believe that hard rock is out of fashion. What do you think?

The reason why hard rock is back …in fashion is because people are so tired of dance music. People are so tired of Beyonce and Britney. The real teenagers out there want to hear hard rock guitars. So, I think you’re going to see a lot of hard rock coming back.

In your latest album there is a song “The man of the year” which is about a man who is the epitome of living perfection but still he’ s not happy. Would you say that perfection turns away happiness?

It’s the same when we say “money doesn’t buy happiness”. Because here you have a guy who spends all of his time being perfect and in the end he…commits suicide! What else could he want? Obviously there was something missing.

Have you looked for that missing piece?

I like to leave that to the audience. I want people to search themselves.

Have you ever felt like God on stage?

It’s a very unnatural state to be a celebrity for one thing. You become a celebrity and then all of a sudden everybody seems to think you are smarter than they are. I always think it’s very funny that people would come to celebrities and ask them about politics as if we know more than they do. If you want to ask me about song writing, about golf, about the stuff that I am good at, then I can tell you about it. If you ask me about politics then I would just look at you and go “Hey, you probably know more about politics than I do!”.

Would you ever expose your every day life in a reality show like Ozzy has done?

No. I think that when I leave my house, I belong to the public. The public has every right to come up and get an autograph, to take pictures with me, because they made me. The only place where they don’t own me is my house. I never give up that part of my privacy, because it’s the only privacy I have.

Recently you were honored with a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. How do you feel about it?

Well, I think it’s great! Especially for my family. I think sometimes they give you one if you survive for 35 years in show biz. It’s all matter of survival. I am glad they didn’t give it to me when I was like 70 years old, cause then it would look like a short of… retirement gift! I am glad they gave it to me while I am still working and still making records.

Another song in your latest album is about relationships with no passion. You compare them to Novocain. Did this interview feel like…Novocain?

Oh, no! It was very interesting. Very, very great!

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..Requiem for a Gothic Dream..

Some of us still remember the legendary decade when “freak” was “chic”, the color black was the perfect alibi for extra pounds and “Lullaby Red” (that is Robert Smith’s lipstick) was the absolute beauty tip for every shockingly trendy boy or girl. Back in the early eighties, the ideal rebel without a cause should look like a morbid freak with king Leer’s curse pinned on him as an amulet. Entire armies of Ian Curtis’s followers danced along with their demons. Some may say that they were victims of society (or perhaps of their narcissism). However, they managed to turn their depression into a cult. Unfortunately, for quite some time now, the glorious race of Goths is on the verge of extinction thanks to Prozac, not to mention that the good old Cure and Siouxsie’s worshipers have given way to Britney Spears’s clones. As if that were not enough, comfortable sofas with cushions in pastel colors disgrace the historical clubs where once the concubines of melancholy used to wave their ebony hair. Whatever happened to the gothic sub-culture? Where do the knights of gloominess, who once stayed up all nigh, listening to haunting ballads and death rattles, revel today? Has anybody seen their descendants?

Oh my Goth!

It’s 3.30 in the middle of the night. I sneak into X- Club – it is said to be something like the “Bat cave” of Thessalonica. The club’s heavy iron doors open. Standing in awe, I say a prayer before I run into an infernal atmosphere made up of erosive guitars, vocals resembling drowned howls and special lighting that make teeth look scary in the darkness. Oh yeah, I am in the right place. An entire ghost town is hidden behind these stone walls. Every Friday and Saturday all “possessed” angels gather here to bring their personal nightmares to life. Young women with dramatic make-up and black fingernails, wearing corsets straight from Lady Mac Beth’s wardrobe sway their hips on the dance floor in a condition of religious ecstasy. Some of them remind me of Frankenstein’s bride or princesses of darkness. Boys apparently influenced by Marilyn Manson’s stage persona fling their bodies around, moving their heads and arms up and down, just like broken puppets. I try to get to know some members of the gothic community. Their music preferences range from new wave, punk, post punk, noise and electro gothic. They listen to Bauhaus, Clan of Xymox, The Mission, London after Midnight, Diary of Dreams, Tuxedomoon or to more traditional bands like Joy Division, The Cure, Siouxsie & Banshees and Sisters of Mercy. Most Goths see vampirism in a romantic light – that is if there is any light in their world! Their favorite songs are about depressed people, fallen angels who lose their way. It’s about decadence, despair, corruption and sorrow. Contemporary Greek music makes them sad. Paradoxically, some say that gothic music affects them in a positive way.

Dress to excess

John is a young Goth with a day job. At night he goes out wearing a leather collar around his neck and specially designed contact lenses that create an eldritch, underworld effect. But how does a creature of the night like him survive in daylight? "I go to work wearing my favorite gothic clothes – I only take off the leather collar. I never wear a suit when I visit clients. I don’t give a damn about their opinion. My mother’s reaction when she first saw me with make up was like "My son is gay!" Then, when she saw me dating girls, she said “O.K., my son is not gay, but… people might think he is!” he laughs. I notice a beautiful girl next to him. She has the complexion of white porcelain. Her hair is long and dark. Smoky eye -shadow around her eyes only adds to her mystery. At the sound of the word “journalist” her deep red lips seal like a volt. Thankfully, after a few minutes she decides to break her silence and to introduce herself as Elvira. “I am not a very open person, I had a hard time in the past. When I decided to paint my room deep purple, my parents were worried. They insisted I saw a psychiatrist. So I did. He told them that if I tried to change, my situation would get worse. Dressed in total black, fragile and erotic in an obscure kind of way, Elvira looks like a bewitched Cinderella. “For me, gothic is protest and passion, it is all my memories and experiences. If you are an introverted person you don’t find relief in everyday routine, you’re just looking for a way out. I dress in black all the time. I don’t feel good in any other color. It’s like mourning about the entire situation around you because you don’t fit in…” she admits. Of course, black is an eloquent code among those who share the same feeling of loneliness and alienation. But I can’t help wonder. Don’t they ever get bored of it? “Do you ever get bored of bread and water?” John sneers. Most people would find it difficult to understand why extravagant dress sense is that important to these youngsters, but I suppose Oscar Wilde would say, “Those who see any difference between soul and body have neither.” Still, there is always a dispute about who is a true Goth and who is a fake. And, of course, there’s always the classical misconception between metal and gothic subculture. Some people tend to put the followers of the two genres in the same category. “Gothic philosophy died the day it turned into vogue. Today every fashion victim declares himself a gothic follower. I don’t like those who pose and only care about their looks.” says John. Elvira gives her own perspective: “Since you have a deeper way of thinking, it’s crucial to behave like an activist. I put on heavy make – up and black, lacy suspenders over my clothes. Of course, some people keep you at a distance. I have experienced prejudice. When I walk around, strangers might ask me questions such as “Are you a Christian?” or “What is your religion?” The truth is that we are more awake mentally and closer to spirituality than those who condemn us.” says Elvira. John agrees: “Some people think that we are some kind of fanatic individuals who slaughter virgins and innocent children, hang out at cemeteries, digging up bones and getting tattoos with inverted pentagrams all over our bodies. This is all bullshit!” O.k. I got the picture. It’s clear to me that the gothic attitude is more than fashion, provocation and showing off. It involves your character, your ideology, and aesthetics. “It’s the way you see things. I happen to see the world a little bit…upside down. More or less, like a beautiful painting hung upside down…” remarks Iris. I like her observation. Maybe that’s the way “ordinary” people see Goths too. Beautiful but improbable. Just like upside down paintings.

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..Mickey Rourke..

Return from hell

If big screen heroes don’t die in car accidents, they usually end up growing old far from gracefully. Unless a miracle happens. After keeping Mickey Rourke for ten years on the sidelines, Hollywood suddenly opened up her doors to him. The reason is obvious: Hollywood is a Sin City that loves black sheep.

If you were a woman in the mid 80’s you’d have had no other choice: No doubt, your feministic values would break down at the sight of the despotic yuppie with the refined perversions, who smiled like the Mona Lisa and ordered the absolute blonde bombshell, Kim Basinger to crawl on all fours. It was his baby face, that made you believe a sensitive core was hidden under that cynical surface, it was the cherries and the jelly, it was the throaty voice of Joe Cocker singing "You can leave your hat on”, it was the directing magic of Adrian Lyne that gave "9 ½ weeks" its sensual fame, it was the golden touch of King Midas. So we are back in 1986: "9 ½ weeks" is the new “Love story” and its phenomenal box hit figures capitalise on Mickey Rourke’s name. His next role gives the actor the opportunity to co-star with Fay Dunaway. Mickey evokes the appalling charm of someone who lives on the margins so convincingly as only Boukofski with his villain pen could do. "Some people never go crazy. How horrible their life must be!” soliloquises the actor in a scene of "Barfly", a film which gets favourable criticism. In Alan Parker’s “Angel Heart" he has the opportunity to stand out next to another holy terror. The ecstatic media worships him: “A new De Niro is born?” Unfortunately, any “resemblance” is limited to the script of "Raging Bull": Rourke’ s passion for boxing, which also extends outside the ring, earning him the label of “troublemaker” but no prizes other than a busted face. Rebel without a cause? Addicted to danger? Or just… cocky? Actually, in those days it’s just impossible to find a director who is not furious with him. The profile of “bad guy” does him more harm than good: Disastrous professional choices, failed plastic surgery, insignificant parts, substance abuse, bad company – more or less living a roller coaster life. In addition to this, the sequel of “9 ½ weeks” (known as "Love in Paris") gives the audience as many thrills... as a commercial for liquid soap. As if that were not enough in 1998 his wife, Carrie Otis dumps him. "He looks like an exiled king" comments a kid in a scene from "Rumple fish" (1983) referring to the Motorcycle boy (Mickey Rourke), who is the tough brother of Rusty James (Mat Dillon). Prophetic? Apart from some brief flashes of success, for the years to come Rourke will resemble a cursed king with his life collapsing down like a tower of cards. "For a long time, nothing really mattered to me" comments the actor thinking back to his old days.

Bend it like… Travolta

"Only a real man can survive without needing to work" states Henry Chinaski, in "Barfly". In the beginning of the 21st century the "Marlboro man" is both unemployed and in bad shape. So much better for the men who work miracles, (Robert Rodriguez, Frank Miller, and Quentin Tarantino) who undertake the mission to resurrect the “fallen star”. Just like Travolta in “Pulp Fiction” Mickey Rourke is reborn from his ashes as Marv, only to confirm the Hollywood’s karma: Once a star, always a star. The producers of “Sin City” offer him the golden opportunity to re-launch a new career on the big screen. Stepping on the red carpet again in the British premier of the movie for the first time in years, the former loser almost bursts into tears. "I am grateful they gave me this second chance. I was a dead man, close to madness. I don’t feel I deserve it. I simply feel gratitude." he says humbly.

Delinquent soul

Marv is a wild, underworld warrior. A gorilla with a broken skull and a knightly heart. Among all the scum of the night, this monster is chosen by Goldy (a suicide–blonde bomb with divine curves) to be her love mate. “I was the toughest dude. She knew that only I could protect her” states Marv in a scene of" Sin City ". It’s an indirect reference to the atavistic attraction between the beauty and the beast – the only creature that can provide safety to beauty in a dangerous world. Marv is the film character in “Sin City” that gave Mickey Rourke the kiss of life. Furthermore, it’s somehow a reflection of the disturbed mental world of the former sex symbol. Actually Mickey does not hesitate to admit that Marv and himself fought against the same demons. During the last years, the former self-destructive star followed innumerable hours of psychotherapy in order to admit his addiction to drink and coke. “A psychiatrist and a priest helped me in order to get back on my feet again" he admits. The name Rourke proved, that it can still sell tickets. The films "Sin City" and "Domino" represent the golden opportunity for the actor to recover psychologically and financially. He’s in luck again. Who knows? Maybe he’ll get lucky again with Carrie Otis…

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..Global warming..

Many battles have been lost, but not the war

Droughts, floods and tornadoes. Rising sea levels, retreating glaciers, half of the world’s species at the risk of extinction. Hundreds of millions of people in desperate need of food and water. Is this the Biblical scenario of a new science fiction blockbuster? Or, a prediction of the coming misfortunes due to global warming?

Once, the idea of a perfect vacation involved a trip to some tropical paradise where the temperatures were high and morals low. For some people, the melting of the ice caps might mean they will have to replace this dream with a…cooler one. For others, it’s more than that. While scientists worry about global warming and its various effects, people in the southern hemisphere dream of a White Christmas and worry about high air conditioning bills. Some talk about crime and punishment; others, about the butterfly effect. Whatever it is, it’s crystal clear that something is going wrong with the climate. Cold days and nights are fewer and far between nowadays than in the past. Summer means a never-ending series of sultry, sleepless nights and bottled water costs more…than oil itself!

Now, imagine a less dramatic scenario: It’s an ordinary evening after work. I am driving home with my electric car which emits zero greenhouse gases. I feel hungry, so I decide to prepare my favourite dish: curried squash with rice produced with less climatic impact. I enjoy dinner watching my favourite show and at the same time, my climate friendly TV set is removing CO2 from the atmosphere! How about that? Relaxing on my sofa makes me…a climate activist! Life is what you make it, indeed! Now, you might think that this is my imagination running wild. But the idea of having a number of sophisticated, climate friendly devices available in shops at affordable prices is not a far cry from reality.

Probably some decades ago, it would have been impossible to think that CO2 could be captured, stored permanently, and used to generate power with a net negative climate impact. Or, that food can be produced with less climate impact. Not only that, but now energy can be generated from biomass, water, wind, the sun and the sea and it can be used more efficiently. Well, guess what! According to recent scientific reports, the necessary technology already exists. All we need is to take advantage of it. Of course, no single solution can do the job alone. If we care about reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent by 2050, a range of solutions is needed in all sectors of the economy. This necessitates an investment in technology which is both climate friendly and financially attractive.

How can we work it out?

So, politicians “speechify” about it. Singers sing in the name of it. Enormous quantities of ink are used on books and articles in an effort to raise public awareness in the “hot” issue. Still, fossil fuels currently account for 80 percent of world energy use, and energy use is responsible for 60 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If business is allowed to proceed “as usual”, it is predicted that fossil fuels will play an even greater role in 2050 than today. Undoubtedly, the war against global warming is more of a political and economic nature than of a technical nature. Although there is strong evidence that greenhouse gas emissions are causing global warming, some politicians and business leaders have argued against measures to combat the phenomenon.Politicians’ skepticism tends to emphasize the price tag of climate change policies. This means that only those measures that are expected to cost less than the budgeted amount are included in a global warming mitigation project. Scientists advocate, we need to focus less on cost, since the actual cost of a particular solution is subject to change as market conditions change. Nevertheless, under the prevailing economic and political conditions, the necessary reforms are either happening far too slowly or not happening at all. Until a strong political leadership emerges, the poor will have to suffer the high cost of climate change. As a recent report from Transparency International reveals, the global water crisis causes corruption, forcing people in Africa and Asia to pay higher utility bills than those in New York. The corruption is likely to increase as climate change will unavoidably lead to greater water scarcity. If this picture doesn’t change in the coming years, millions of people will get thirstier and thirstier. In that case, don’t be surprised if a modern day Marie Antoinette will advise them to drink French champagne instead of water…

Act like a well - brought up guest

Thankfully, we don’t need Superman to rescue our planet from the dire consequences of overheating. As environmental experts point out, increasing climate awareness in addition to higher prices on emission intensive products and services will encourage people to change their daily lives and reduce the ecological impact. For instance, they will travel more by public transport, eat food with a lower carbon footprint and live in houses with lower indoor temperatures. Besides, more ecologically aware voters are likely to put more pressure on politicians and business leaders to reduce emission levels, invest in climate friendly technology and commit to combating global warming at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December 2009. To quote the painter, sculptor, architect and environmentalist, Friedensreich Hundertwasser "If man walks in nature's midst, then he is nature's guest and must learn to behave as a well brought up guest.” Well, I suppose it makes sense. If the planet has changed its ways, it’s time we changed ours too.

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..Vegetables brought up with.. Vivaldi!..

The spectacular results of music in the growth of plants were discovered by Mr.Manolis Trakas a farmer from Galatista - Chalkidiki who has been cultivating organic vegetables since 1998. As he reported, the idea of application of “music therapy” to his farms came to him after personal study but also exchange of opinions with other “ideologist” farmers, who through research concluded that plants react to various stimulations depending on the way of cultivation. “Plants have feelings, comprehension and character. We can realise that if we have the right receptors. Personally I realised that, when at one stage a colleague brought me a music tape with specialised pieces which excite plants. I placed the speakers in an area of 13 acres. The result? The plants turned their leaves to the speakers while in the long run I saw them grow much better as if I had fed them with the best fertiliser. The tracks that help the growth of plants are based on Classical or Indian music. Vivaldi’s «Four Seasons» when they were heard in the fields, brought harmony even to the workers.” reported Mr.Trakas, pointing out at the same time that in America the method of music therapy is applied alongside the spraying of natural fertilizers for better results. As for the disadvantages of the method, the romantic farmer from Galatista mentions the probability of his speakers… being stolen (something that, as he underlined, happened to him twice) as well as the fact that although the rain that can benefit the plants, can also harm the sound systems, therefore they have to be protected. In any case, those who have the privilege of owning farms near trees, forests or streams most likely won’t need the help of the sound systems since the natural music of the chirping of birds and insects, has more or less the same beneficial effects.

Agricultural products… with “certificate of humanity”

Music therapy is not, however, the unique pioneering method with which organic farming experiments. “Biodynamics is yet another method that I have applied, which is related to the zodiacal cycle of the land and its effect on plants and people.” reported Mr.Trakas. “These new methods require the farmers to be more involved in experiments and less in actual production which sometimes means less profit. This, however, does not mean that the cultivator should increase the prices of his produce, in order to make a profit, but that he should sell them despite any damage that may have been caused as result of bad weather conditions.” said Mr. Trakas. Unfortunately, however, organic farming has also started to be industrialised. According to Mr.Trakas, the basic priority of an organic farmer is not to rely on the use of certified fertilizers that, even if they are harmless, they are expensive so that the final cost of the product is increased. Rather, farmers should look to find ways of working traditionally and improving their methods. “Only people who love and respect humans themselves, should get involved in organic farming.” stated Mr. Trakas.

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..School Buildings..

It’s all very well having new schoolbooks and upgraded teaching methods, but what short of buildings are our children taught in? Does school architecture influence their ability to learn? Dimitris Germanos, architect, social psychologist and professor (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), who has dealt with the upgrading of the educational environment all over Greece, explains why our school buildings prevent the application of modern educational methods and make the majority of children think of schools as prisons.

You have made architectural interventions in 56 schools all over Greece. What is your general conclusion about the situation of our school buildings?

Our school buildings have many problems. Despite being built with modern materials, they do not encourage the application of modern instructive methods, since their plan and their characteristics are inspired by the first laws concerning school buildings that were passed… in 1895! Since then, instructive perception remains the same: A central corridor and classrooms stemming out from either side, one next to the other.

However, isn't it encouraging having at least new schools built than no new schools at all?

The elements reported by the government are always quantitative. They count the classrooms, the number of students per classroom while the main purpose remains the need of all schools to operate in morning shifts. * However, this is not the solution. Even when a school building offers sufficient number of classes, this does not mean the quality of education provided is high. New school buildings should be built according to the right specifications because this parameter dramatically affects the degree of class participation.

* In Greece, in areas where there are not enough schools to meet the needs of the population, buildings often operate in two different shifts, morning and afternoon.

Can you describe these specifications?

The upgrading of a school building is related to the application of modern methods of teaching and learning. This is the objective. Because the operation of most of our schools is based on out-moded educational methods: education children have is not sufficient. Therefore, children need to attend afterschool private lessons, which also, in many cases function in an obsolete way. Thus again the students remain with gaps in their knowledge. It is a tragic situation that borders on the ridiculous.

In what ways do you intervene in the construction of the school buildings?

By trying to apply to the situation in Greece what has already been happening in Europe and in the U.S.A. for years. My work exceeds the architectural study because it takes into consideration both pedagogical and psychological aspects. I try to reform the entire school building (externally and internally) or just a part of it. This modification is connected with the most modern method of teaching, that is the cooperative method. For example, it is important that a home atmosphere is created in the classroom. Desks are not placed in lines but in groups, so that teamwork is encouraged. I make sure that the classroom has a library and also that there is a common room in which students gather for discussion. A basic rule: Τhe room is built in such a way that it can be adapted to the needs of each course and children are able to move easily from one area to another. In that way they develop both their knowledge and their social skills. The communal spaces also are important. I modified enough ugly school corridors that resemble channels, changing them in to art galleries placing works of art made by pupils. Another aspect of my work has to do with the training of the teachers, so that they know how to operate under the new conditions. After 3-4 months of teaching under the new conditions, I return and evaluate the results.

Could you describe the results of your intervention to me?

Research has shown that such modifications combined with the proper education of schoolteachers has led to huge improvements in children’s progress and also in their integration in the school. Children start to love the school environment and take care of it. Also, this method is recommended where there is cultural diversity. The children of immigrants are incorporated into the school society easily and make better progress more quickly.

Where do you get the money for these interventions?

Some municipalities pay from their own budget. Occasionally, local parent associations finance the reformation of school units.

Has O.S.B. (Organisation for School Buildings) financed you?

O.S.B. has its own ways and does not easily accept something new. It manufactures buildings, impressive in form, however architecturally obsolete. Modern architectural perception demands the school space, to be a tool in the hands of the teacher.

How do teachers react to your changes?

Most of them are disappointed because they are used to teaching under obsolete methods. But as soon as they are convinced that a change is feasible, they become enthusiastic about the project. Fortunately, lately the Ministry of Education realized there’s a need for the application of these new methods. As a result of this, all new schoolbooks are written with the prospect of being taught with the use of cooperative teaching and learning methods. But this is contradictory: While the books are adapted to this method, the school spaces are inadequate for the application of this teaching!

What encourages you?

The fact that I proved these methods can be applied to the Greek reality.

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..Greece... Tobacco’s Paradise..

“Turning our country into an asylum for tobacco smokers will help tourism” claimed the chairman of G.C.F.C.

In an effort to explain his innovative and bold idea in the “Sunday Macedonia” Mr. Janetos Karamihas, the President of the Greek Confederation of Farmers’ Cooperatives, pointed out that the idea of turning Greece into… an asylum for international smokers will greatly help tourism. “It’s a unique chance for Greece to organise a project properly and at the same time to make the smoker’s life easier. In other words, we can divide systematically all the communal areas into smoking and non - smoking – except for hospitals and schools, so each tourist has his own space, his own place in order to enjoy his cigarette, the sunset and all the beauties of our country. We can provide the visitor with organised spaces for smoking, e.g. special tobacco shops, where specific blends of tobacco (especially for hand made cigarettes or for pipes) can be served. And, of course, in these areas people could also have discussions on smoking", stressed Mr. Karamihas.

As he reported, the idea came to him during his participation in the various European committees, where he realised the enormous hypocrisy that reigns on the subject of smoking. “Countries that have a hostile attitude towards smoking actually have the highest rate of importation of tobacco from third countries. We should take into great consideration the fact that total prohibition of smoking almost reaching hysteria has encouraged the sales of multi-ethnic consortiums to the detriment of the small producers. I believe that consortium interests underlie anti-smoking hysteria. Each prohibition in terms of publicity is in favour of the powerful brands.” he said. Naturally, Mr.Karamichas does not dispute the fact that smoking is responsible for serious damage to our health. However, as he underlines, our health is in danger due to a lot of other things too.

“Alcohol, cars… even lambchops!” he claimed. “According to the opinion of a nutritionist, one kilo of lambchops is as cancer-causing as… 580 cigarettes!!! Cigarettes are a pleasure. Life is meaningless if you live it in fear, without flavours and without senses. I believe that smoking will not be limited by taking oppressive measures, but through information and education ", said Mr.Karamichas and added: “I dislike every extremity. In the end, by imposing total prohibition on cigarettes, they will be considered as drugs. Therefore I react to the hysteria against smoking in the same way as I would react to a mass campain in favour of it ".

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..Vienna..

In the realm of the senses

Homeland of good coffee, of schnitsel, of Sachertorte, of croissant, but above all, homeland of music, Vienna draws artistic votaries, bons viveurs and suburbanites - admirers of beauty, who wish to have a taste of imperial extravaganza. A city - hetaera with a mission to satisfy intellectual and material desires.

From the very first moment you set foot in Vienna, the impression you acquire is that the proportions in this city are really big: Majestic buildings, pompous names, princely titles, significant companies and historical agreements that determined and still determine the fate of humanity. This the information with which every self-respecting travel guide provides you. It is not a coincidence of course that the fathers of music reaped laurels here. First and foremost Mozart, Srauss, Beethoven but…don’t let me bore you. More or less, all great composers (or all composers who wanted to make it) spent some period of their lives in Vienna. Naturally, all this rich cultural heritage is an enormous national safe-deposit which Austria exploits with…artistic temperament. Last year, 5 billion Euros came into the country due to the celebration of 250 years from the birth of Mozart. Innumerable products with the face of the famous composer on them (from pastries to condoms) were sold and they will continue be sold until… the next gimmick comes along.

Moving to Austria?

Vienna has a population of 1.5 million and it is built on the river Wien from which it took its name. Divided into 23 geographical apartments, it boasts trams, buses, an underground and the best standard of living in the world. The residents enjoy a lot of facilities and state benefits, (for fuel, for children etc.) while unemployment does not exceed 1.5%. The country’s health service consists of two insurance funds that provide even… massage! Hospitals are reminiscent of… hotels, as they allocate single rooms or, at worst, double rooms. Furthermore, when a patient who has a serious psychiatric condition leaves the clinic, he is provided with an apartment by the state! The municipality of Vienna has the highest level of council houses in the world. Within the framework of the program for social benefits, these houses are rented out at much lower prices than those on the private market. Roughly one third of Vienna’s population lives in a council house. Since the Social Democrats have been in power from the end of Second World War, occasionally politicians of the Opposition have claimed that such privileged apartments are given more easily to the members of the governmental party.

A city full of sights

The Schönbrunn Palace, the official summer residence of the Habsburgs until 1918, is Austria's number one sight. Eleven years ago, Unesco declared it a monument of national cultural heritage. No doubt, the 1441 rooms, the baroque and rococo luxury ( everything that shines inside it is real 23 1/2 carat gold ), the marvelous gardens, the historical… chamber - pots of Maria Theresa and the stories about the beautiful, but unhappy, empress Sissi dazzle the visitors ( about 2.5 million per year ). Fortunately, Vienna’s attraction is not limited to the symbols of absolutism. The visitor has the opportunity to get to know all the splendid buildings that embrace a variety of architectural styles from Classicism to Modernism. Romanesque competes with baroque in majesty. The Art Nouveau creations of architect Otto Wagner, Hundertwasserhaus, more than120 palaces, 100 art museums (Leopold Albertina, Belvedere and son on) art gallery, exhibitions, operas, music halls will satisfy your spirit. The tour of the Ringstrasse (the first ring road in Europe constructed in 1857 by Franz Joseph to link the palace with Saint Stephan’s district) is high up on the tourists' lists of interests. And if time is not on your side, the landmark of the city, Saint Stephan’s Cathedral often hosts Mozart concerts that can give you the absolute concert experience. Undoubtedly, every tourist must visit Mozart’s house and the various places where Beethoven lived. In Heldenplatz don’ forget to look up in order to see the balcony from which Hitler made his famous speech right after his triumphant entry to Austria in 1938.

Naughty but nice!

Between 1920 and 1930 Vienna was considered as the cavern of Socialism. Today however the former “Red Vienna”, is a city full of temptations with a mission to satisfy intellectual and material desires. Kartner Strasse and Graben, the two most commercial streets of the city will do their best to empty your wallet: delicate porcelain, souvenirs with subjects taken from Klimt’ s paintings, magic Bohemian and Swarovski jewels, clocks, elegant clothes, accessories and naturally… chocolate to die for. And you mustn’t forget that Casino Vien is very near – but on your own head be it! Next to the pedestrian zone, in Kartner Strasse you can find the historical Sacher hotel with the exclusive, luxurious atmosphere as well as the two best- known Sacher coffee- houses. Tourists do not hesitate to stand for half an hour or even more in the queue waiting for table in order to enjoy a piece of the notorious chocolate Sachertorte. If however, you want the whole cake, you should know the prize before you buy: 30 Euros for the small size, please!

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..Valerio Violo: “The subway is the future”..

Born in Sardegna, Valerio Violo studied mining engineering in Rome. After graduating he went to Paris to train professionally in T.B.M. operation (Tunnel Boring Machine). His career is full of underground drives in various cities of the world. Recently he settled down in Thessaloniki as he will be supervising the tunnel construction for the metro for the next 3-4 years. In the interview for “Makedonia”, the T.B.M. manager reveals the tunnel construction secrets and explains the reason why the future is coming… underground.

Describe to me the responsibilities of your job during the project…

I am in charge of tunnel construction. I have to make sure that everything is set in place, the T.B.M. and the equipment. After that we have to start opening the tunnel. I organise the shifts and I have to make sure that the workers run the T.B.M. in the correct way.

How does the T.B.M. work?

The T.B.M. is like a submarine. Its front part does all the digging while the back part builds the tunnel placing plates of prefabricated concrete, which are carried on wagons.

I believe most people would find it a bit frightening being underground…

I think that working underground is wonderful. Of course I also need to be in the office a lot to coordinate the other parts of the company, as far as interferences with building and stations construction is concerned. But I admit that I prefer working in the tunnel.

Is it safe to work under these conditions?

Absolutely. The tunnel is constructed inside the machine, so you’re never exposed to the soil. All the operations need to be done in a safe and fast way. Every shift is made up of 10 - 15 workers. Every one of them is a part of the construction process. It’s not like working in a mine. The construction technique we use is very sophisticated. There’s a whole team of people constantly checking the tunnel’s construction. All the operations that are done down in the T.B.M. are recorded by a computer and at the same time they are shown on a computer on the surface. So, if we see something wrong, an action that is not done properly, we need to go down and see what’s going on.

Give me a description of your first underground experience…

I was 14 years old when I visited a mine in Tuscany. My father who’s a geologist brought me there with all the people of the University. It was fantastic. Imagine that a mine is like an underground town. There were people working at different levels, there were excavations going on, explosions and blasting. You could hear the sounds. The manager of the mine knew exactly what was going on in every different place of the mine. It was amazing. Then I decided that I wanted to study mining engineering.

But how come you started dealing with tunnel construction?

When I graduated, I needed to get some professional training. I really wanted to work in a mine in Portugal. But it was very difficult to find something. By chance, I met a professor from Turin who was working on a tunnel project in Paris. He proposed that I go there for the construction of a subway. It was my first working experience with a T.B.M.: I loved it. Of course, it’s completely different from the mine, because you don’t see the ground directly. After the project was finished, I was sent to… Portugal, for a tunnel construction in Porto, exactly where I had wanted to go in the first place! Isn’t life strange?

I’ve heard that the subsoil in Thessaloniki is soft. Is it difficult working in that kind of ground?

Soft ground is what you usually find underneath a city. Actually working in soft ground is not an easy task. Imagine, for example, that you are on a beach and you try to dig a hole in the wet sand. What happens is, that the water keeps filling up the hole and destroys your effort. So we need to apply pressure in order to avoid that.

Do you remember a really difficult project in your career?

It was in Oregon (U.S.A.), I moved there for three years for the construction of two underwater tunnels. One of the tunnels was under a river. Every day I worked under the river, knowing that above my head there was a lot of water. We knew that there was no room for any mistake. We were very aware of the seriousness of the situation and as result we did a great job.

Because of your job, every 2 or 3 years you need to move to another city. What is that like?

It’s wonderful. If you already speak the language you improve your skills, if you don’t, you have the opportunity to learn a new language. As a result of that, apart from my mother tongue (Italian) I speak Portuguese, English, and French. Now I’m studying Greek. When you have the chance to live in a country for 2 to 3 years, you have the opportunity to get the feeling of the place, the language and the way of living. So, I believe that when I leave Greece, I will be a little bit Greek.

Do you have a car?

I don’t like cars. I only use the company car. I prefer using the bus or the bicycle.

Do you believe that car addiction is a Greek characteristic?

No. I have also found it in South Italy and in America. Car addiction is less common in Northern Italy and in Northern Europe. In Northern Italy everybody rides a bicycle. Of course the ground there is flat, and that helps a lot.

What do you think of Thessaloniki’s transportation system?

There are too many cars. You need a metro.

Do you think that the metro is going to reduce the number of the cars?

I believe that Greeks like their cars very much. I don’t know if the metro is going to reduce the number of cars in the city, but it will give the people an alternative solution. If you create a nice, clean subway with nice stations, everybody is going to use it. When you spend 2 hours of your life trapped in traffic jams each day, then at the end of the week you have ten hours, almost one more day, which you could have spent with your family and your kids. So you are going to take the metro, not the car.

Why do you think the metro is an ideal transportation solution?

With the price of the gas going up, the only solution is transport on tracks, trains. And the only way to make trains pass through the city is underground. The subway is the future. It is the only solution to traffic problems. It’s clean, it’s fast. Also, the metro means less pollution inside the city.

During the next 3 to 4 years Thessaloniki will suffer due to the metro construction. Do you believe that additional measures should be taken in order to reduce everyday problems?

Unfortunately, there are very few things one can do. When you work on such a huge project, there will be times when the city will suffer. Of course everybody (the client, the city, the construction company) has to do his best to reduce the problem. And we are going to do that.

Won’ t it be a pity to have to leave the city, when your work is done and it is more beautiful?

Actually, that will make me sad. But I always like to go back to the city where I’ve worked to have a look and to take the subway.