On the front line in the Austerity Wars - Greece

Greek independence day - Thessaloniki, Greece

This Machine Kills Fascism

This Machine Kills Fascism, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Use, abuse, spread and believe.

Print it out, put it on your computer, camera, tablet or phone.

Anti-fascist day - Thessaloniki Greece

Anti-fascist day - Thessaloniki Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Anti-fascist day - Thessaloniki Greece

Anti-fascist day - Thessaloniki Greece, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Turkish PM bans Twitter

Turkish PM bans Twitter, a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Alternatives to Windows. Zorin OS 8 (Linux) - How to install Linux on your Windows computer

Part 1 - getting started. How to create a bootable USB drive.

Part 2 - installing Linux on your Windows PC.

 


This is a step by step guide on how to try out Zorin OS 8 (Linux) on your Windows PC without changing permanently your computer. If you don't like it all you have to do is turn off the machine, pull out the USB flash memory and your computer will be exactly the same as it was beforehand.

To get the installer program you will need to visit Pendrivelinux.com

For the Zorin OS 8 software download page click here.

 You'll need

1 A reasonably modern Windows PC (5 or 6 years old).
2 Access to the internet.
3 Either Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox browser.
4 A USB flash memory stick. Minimum 2GB.

 Zorin has created a wonderful system that works very smoothly on more modern hardware. If you wat to try out Linux but don't want to change your computer's settings permanently, these videos will help walk you through the process. Must be remembered that by running Zorin (or any other kind of Linux) from a USB stick nothing will be changed or lost on your computer. To get back to the way it was then all you need to do is switch off your device and remove the USB stick. Once you switch it back on it will exactly the way it had been before you started.

For older machines I would suggest using Zorin OS 6 (lite) which demands less in terms of hardware. I installed it on my aged and much battered 2005 Acer 2300 laptop and it worked just fine.

Greek teachers protest latest round of job cuts.

Greek teachers protest latest round of job cuts., a photo by Teacher Dude's BBQ on Flickr.

Now for something completely different.

Once again Kathara Deutera (Clean Monday) is approaching and since I'm feeling in a festive mood I'm going to embark on a two day cooking binge preparing for the traditional start of Lent for Greek Orthodox Christians. So, goodbye to meat and hello to a plethora of seafood and salad recipes, hard to believe this is meant to be the start of a fast with so many delicious things to eat.

So what's on the menu?

Mussel pilaf (mydia pilafo)

Yellow split pee puree (fava) - a lot better than the English translation suggests.

Deep fried battered fish fillets (basically, fish cooked like fish and chips).

Spicy feta cheese dip (xtipiti or tyrosalata).

Broad beans in a rich tomato sauce (fasolada).

Deep fried battered courgettes (kolokythakia tyganita).

Pickled sardine fillets (sardelles marinates)

Tomato and feta salad (well, you know what I mean).

I'll be posting recipe, pics and video over the weekend. Till then I suggest you check out this wonderful blog, My Little Expat Kitchen to see what you're missing.