The site's design has been updated after eleven months. I would call this a record! The previous design was totally custom, written in simple HTML and CSS. It mostly used a combination of borders and CSS functions, in order to achieve the best loading result. After sever updates of the hosting server, speeds were really improved, so there was no need for a "lite" version of design. Apart from that, a more "blog like" and "eye-candy" design was needed, just to give a more attractive character to the site. After all, updating the design makes the web site less boring! Apart from the graphics some other functional changes were made, anything that could improve the navigation in this page. The selected theme is originally designed by BCOOL, and tweaked in the appropriate way using Notepad for coding and COREL for graphics. The really well written code by its initial developer made it extremely easy to modify and customize. Apart from this, the site has also a new description slogan and a new main logo. In the web site's section there is more information provided about the new concept. Hope you like it!

Athens was warm as usual, temperatures reached 35C, sky was blue and the sea was waiting for a quick swim! These nine days were a nice break from the cold, rainy and mostly gray Edinburgh. I might love this city, but nothing's like home! First news-entry will be about sport. I was one of the lucky guys who found themselves inside the Athens Olympic Indoor Hall (OAKA), where the Euroleague Basketball Final took place. The “Champions League” for basketball had Greek color this year. Panathinaikos B.C. Athens took the chance and beat CSKA Moscow in the final, 93 to 91. Panathinaikos was by far the best team in this final four, played fantastic basketball and proved the outstanding quality of work that has been done during the latest years from this exceptional head-coach, Z.Obradovic. There are no words to describe the feelings and the enthusiasm of the crowd. An hour after the end of the game all spectators were still inside the hall, trying to keep these moments forever, having a never ending party. Images speak much better that words, but unfortunately the author here wishes to pay all respect to intellectual property rights, so there will be no pictures published. Euroleague’s official website hosts a content-rich gallery, which is worthy taking a look at. We all thank this exceptional team, these top class players for the moments they offered us. After winning the Greek Cup and Euroleague, now they are heading for the absolute record, the treble, if they manage to win the Greek Championship as well, which has already entered the play-offs stage. I personally thank you guys for the joy you gave me!

It is well known to all that have any relation to sport that rules are one of the most important parts of a game. A game is made by rules and needs an opponent to play against to; so the rules and the opponent are the two most respectable elements of a game. If you disrespect them, there is no way to win! If you are worse than your opponent, this is at some point acceptable. But what happens, if disrespect of rules costs you the whole game, while you’re winning? Are rules absolute? For example, in athletics, when you are competing with a relay team, you now that if you fail to change the relay within the yellow marks on the track, your team is disqualified; there is no “less” or “more” of crossing or stepping on the yellow mark. You comply with the rule, or you don’t. Let’s go to football now. We all know that touching the ball with arms is not allowed. It is a foul, and it might cause a yellow or even red card. But there are some “vis absoluta” instances, where touching the ball with arms is tolerated since it could not be avoided or it was done reluctantly, by accident. In other words, it is upon the referee. Imagine now that the opponent is time, and one of the rules of the game is a deadline! Hmmm, Did I forget to mention, that I was not a footballer but a track and field athlete while I was at school? But as it seems, football was my true love… For many reasons! Btw: promise NOT kept! As always, G!

One could hardly say that the second semester is over. Indeed it is, leaving us nothing but the final essays, which means lots of work to do. It is still cold here in Edinburgh, but I am definitely having a good time. Races were really good at the end of February, could not believe into my own eyes that after 6 years of doing nothing I would get another gold medal. It was really fun, enjoyed it for sure... Looking down there to good old Athens, I get so outraged with what is happening! No limits, no nothing. Seems that the future cannot be predicted for the greek universities. There are more fundamental issues to deal with, like the fact that there are people who think they can by themselves postpone the enforcement of law... Interesting opinion, I still think we have a constitution, and I am waiting to see how far these people are going to challenge the government and the public opinion - or the public order, to be more precise. Anyway, at the end, "it doesn't even matter" as Linkin Park sing! Apart from these "exceptional" facts I see my team winning the key matches and loosing everything else, really disappointed with them as well. What is wrong with you people? Think I should forget the faculty of law in Athens' center, Panathinaikos and their "achievements" and enter the beautiful world of essays and work. Well, I still enjoy these parties on weekends, but time... Here we go again, had I mentioned something about time after Xmas? Did I forget to mention that Easter is coming? LOL!

Last training in Meadowbank Stadium in Edinburgh was kind of painful. It wasn't only the fact that I had to train more than 3 months, but the temperature... I could hardly feel my legs and was afraid of getting injured, but still it was a fine training session. Going back to my warm flat was the best "medicine", but later during the night I realized why it was so hard to train... The internet weather widget indicated -5C in Edinburgh centre! Weather forecast mentions snow within the next few days and it will be welcomed with joy! Apart from these, some sport events are closing, nice opportunity to have some fun and remember good old times... Turning to unviversity's issues, the second semester is already under way, well, reaching its mid-term, and I have harldy felt that...

Winter 2006-2007, but smells like summer in Greece. And I am not referring to the temperatures, but to the greek universities. The new legal framework which is proposed by the government will modify the "traditional" higher education profile of the country and make Greece compatible with the european standards, meaning evaluation procedures, european point system recognition, allowance of private institutions founding and many more important and fundamental changes to what shapes the today status quo in greek universities. Of course the new legal framework will "damage" the "empire" of political parties in the universities, will create a tougher educational system and will indirectly expose the nudity of greek public universities which lack basic infrastructure and sometimes even academic standards. This brave step taken by the government could not be left unanswered by the left-wing parties and especially the extremists left-wing students who found the perfect alibi to declare their existence and impose disorder within most higher education institutions. Most departments are under or will be under occupation by sad minorities, that use violence and other "innovative" means to achieve their political goals, in order to destabilize the social status quo and make government take back the new legislation.

These "new era" fighters, kids lost between the sui generis principles of communism, anarchism and extreme socialism are living their own revolutionary moments, trying to write their own part of history. Of course, nothing of what they wish to achieve now with occupying the universities will happen. The new legal framework will be put on voting in the greek parliament and will pass, the universities will slowly become institutions of knowledge and research as they should be in the first place, and their extremistic political nests will vanish. The last one scares the political leaders of the left-wing parties the most, so they try to keep "the flame" alive for as long as they can... Till this fight comes to an end, most of the members of the (healthy) academic community will be forced to abolish their right to teach and be taught. Pity things have to go this way, but there is no other path, not in this very moment, not in this society that easily accepts everything except rules...

Giving my best during the last 100m and shocking my rivals was the best way of dealing with 4x400 relay races when I used to racing for my schools' athletics club. Since these times I kept believing that the most important thing is pushing myself during the last 100m, meaning during the last periods before of any important challenge. What I haven't learned so far, is that this analogy only counts when the gap from your rival (usually time in university) is not so impressive. When you are really left behind, you have 2 options: Whether to give up the race and go home, or to keep fighting and trying to overcome your limits. The last solution seems to be the better but most difficult one. Last time I tried this model, it was so difficult, that I will change my strategy as a whole: leave your rival behind from the beginning and just stop playing this silly game of "how fast can I be at the end"... Closing this little personal note, being so "full" from this great German, ehm, Austrian dinner I had tonight, I must give credit to my excellent fellows from the LLM team. Well done boys n' girls... Second semester is starting and I hope that I will keep this promise to myself... By the way, happy new year...

First snowflakes in Edinburgh city today, Princes Street Gardens are celebrating in white and yellow sparkling lights, the austrian Xmas market is offering hot wine and traditional sausages, people are bursting into stores, looking greedily at the seasonal offers, it is true that the spirit of joy is here... Merry Christmas everyone! Many essays G! Once more, well done! Perry Como on the speakers (of which I am very proud), Lessig, Lloyd and other various "artists" of legal IT & IP theory in front of me... Pas mal, pas mal...

Panathinaikos + Mom's Schnitzel + Microwave Chips + Toasts + Cola + Arleta + Housekeeping + Training + Studying(?) = LLM

Well, more than two months here, in Edinburgh, and today I experienced the classical Edinburgh's weather... Cold, windy, rainy, in other words: Don't go out! Two months and sure the most enjoyable thing is leaving alone. Although things get weird if you are not a magician, I can say that I feel fine... So, since am not a magician, clothes won't be washed, dished wont either, the flat has no "self cleaning" button... All these create a "wonderful" atmosphere, combined with absolute freedom and this damned laptop, I think I am having a pretty good time at home... Usual scenario from Edinburgh: Greek music from 60's playing in low volume, Arleta is becoming famous in this flat, the food in the microwave warming up, internet TV on, cola on the table, everything ready... Thank God Panathinaikos (my favorite team) is doing well and I have no complains. So till now, definitely, if there is one thing to enjoy and never forget is this shock of living alone... Only "restriction" the phone and the "reporting" back home... Wish I didn't have these essays... Anyway, everything is taking its turn...

After some discussions with friends from the LLM programme, we decided to build a portal for our little group and keep interactively in touch. The site was registered yetserday, on a free sub-domain name and hosting plan. Same story again, XOOPSing and creating a remarkable community with news publishing system, article system, calendar, fora, members listing, etc. within 24 hours. One day I will open a paypal account and donate to these guys of the XOOPS Fundation! Anyway, the url of the website is "http://itlawyers.awardspace.co.uk/" and pity I cannot reveal anything more, otherwise it has no meaning creating a restricted registration based site. The site is in RC status, and within the next days the first public real time test is going to take place. Maybe I will post some screenshots of the full site later, but still the basic design will be available for unregistered users, when the site comes out of testing proceedures. So lots of time and posting is going to be dedicated there, I hope... Bye now!