December 2, 2016 – GREEK WORLD MEDIA

Australia’s 50 highest paid jobs revealed in Tax Office data

December 2, 2016

There are big bucks to be made if you’re lucky enough to nab one of these jobs.

ORDINARY Australians are struggling to make ends meet as wage growth stagnates and the cost of living soars but the one per cent are living large.

And while the true rich listers have their earnings tied up in complex company structures, the tax returns of the nation’s top salary earners reveal that they are living very comfortably indeed.

With high rates of underemployment, many ordinary workers would need to add an extra zero to their pay packet to match these earnings.

The latest Tax Office data reveals that male neurosurgeons have the best-paid job in the country, taking home a whopping $577,674 a year.

For women, it’s judges who lead the pack with $355,844, confirming the age-old cliche that studying law or medicine is the ticket to a life of comfort.

The gender pay gap is writ large in the results, with female neurosurgeons taking home just 56 per cent of their male counterparts’ salary, despite being the second-highest-paid professional women.

Medical specialists dominate the list of the 50 highest paid men’s jobs, with investment bankers, MPs, chief executives, dentists, company secretaries and mining engineers also making the list.

The worst-paid jobs involved manual labour and traineeships, many of them in industries that tend to employ part-time workers including fruit pickers, farm overseers, leaflet or newspaper deliverers, crossing supervisors, fast food cooks, dishwashers and kitchen hands.

Men and women in these positions reported earnings of a measly $13,307 to $20,575 a year.

Ordinary Aussies are struggling to make ends meet as wage growth stagnates and the cost of living soars.Source:Supplied

AUSTRALIA’S 50 BEST-PAID JOBS

Men

Neurosurgeon $577,674

Ophthalmologist $552,947

Cardiologist $453,253

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon $448,530

Gynaecologist; Obstetrician $446,507

Otorhinolaryngologist $445,939

Orthopedic surgeon $439,629

Urologist $433,792

Vascular surgeon $417,524

Gastroenterologist $415,192

Diagnostic and interventional radiologist $386,003

Dermatologist $383,880

Judge — law $381,323

Anaesthetist $370,492

Cardiothoracic surgeon $358,043

Surgeon — general $357,996

Specialist physicians — other $344,860

Radiation oncologist $336,994

Medical oncologist $322,178

Securities and finance dealer $320,452

Thoracic medicine specialist $315,444

Specialist physician — general medicine $315,114

Intensive care specialist $308,033

Renal medicine specialist $298,681

Neurologist $298,543

Financial investment manager $288,790

Investment broker $286,530

Paediatric surgeon $282,508

Clinical haematologist $271,738

Futures trader $264,830

Endocrinologist $258,972

Cricketer $257,527

Rheumatologist $256,933

Dental specialist $253,442

Magistrate $246,737

Equities analyst; Investment dealer $245,826

Paediatrician $239,405

Stock exchange dealer; Stockbroker $238,192

Psychiatrist $234,557

Emergency medicine specialist $232,595

Member of Parliament $232,093

Pathologist $224,378

Company secretary — corporate governance $218,432

State governor $212,652

Actuary $196,144

Sports physician $187,468

Petroleum engineer $185,808

Chief executive officer; Executive director; Managing director; Public servant — secretary or

deputy secretary $181,849

Mining production manager $179,439

For women, it’s judges who lead the pack with $355,844 a year.Source:News Limited

Women

Judge — law $355,844

Neurosurgeon $323,682

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon $281,608

Futures trader $281,600

Vascular surgeon $271,529

Gynaecologist; Obstetrician $264,628

Gastroenterologist $260,925

Magistrate $260,161

Anaesthetist $243,582

Ophthalmologist $217,242

Cardiologist $215,920

Urologist $213,094

Surgeon — general $210,796

Medical oncologist $208,612

Specialist physicians — other $207,599

Specialist physician — general medicine $207,225

Otorhinolaryngologist $200,136

Dermatologist $195,030

Diagnostic and interventional radiologist $180,695

Cardiothoracic surgeon $175,500

Paediatric surgeon $175,314

Endocrinologist $174,542

Member of Parliament $173,331

Rheumatologist $169,409

Intensive care specialist $169,369

Emergency medicine specialist $165,786

Orthopedic surgeon $159,479

Neurologist $155,217

Renal medicine specialist $155,133

Psychiatrist $152,437

Clinical haematologist $147,970

Paediatrician $147,347

Securities and finance dealer $145,208

Dental specialist $140,505

Actuary $136,819

Radiation oncologist $135,678

Financial investment manager $134,481

Petroleum engineer $133,315

Mining production manager $133,061

General medical practitioner $129,834

Thoracic medicine specialist $127,645

Stockbroker $124,433

Paving plant operator $123,281

Mining engineer $119,564

Tribunal member $119,219

Occupational medicine specialist; Public health physician; Sports physician $118,310

Geophysicist $117,575

General medical practitioner $184,639

Chief executive officer; Executive director; Managing director; Public servant — secretary or

deputy secretary $116,855

Metallurgist $110,359

Engineering manager $116,732

Source: news.com.au

Via Egnatia – The ancient Roman road that connected Rome with Constantinople

Dec, 2 2016

All roads lead to Rome, one of the reasons why the Roman Empire became as powerful as it did was because of their ingenious and long-lasting roads. The Romans were famous road builders.

Their vast road network laid the foundations for modern day highways across Europe, and many of them are built directly over the ancient ones or run parallel to them.

At the peak of the Roman Empire, the total distance that the roads covered was more than 400,000 km.

appian_way — Wia Appia in Rome, near Casalrotondo / Photo credit

With the help of this network, the Romans were able to transport reinforcements, supplies, and trade goods to even the most distant and secluded parts of their empire.

The roads were also crucial for the foundation and development of many cities. Settlers often picked roadside locations for their settlements, and some of those settlements became major cities.

One such famous road that brought prosperity to a whole region, built in the second century BC, was called Via Egnatia.

It connected Rome with the Eastern provinces of Illyricum, Macedonia, and Thrace. Those provinces are the territories of Albania, Macedonia, Greece and the European part of Turkey.

The Via Egnatia stretch of road was an important part of the Roman road network mainly because it connected Rome with Constantinople (modern day Istanbul).

It became a lifeline between the Western and Eastern part of a huge Empire.

via_egnatia_librazhd — Part of the Via Egnatia in Albania / Photo credit

The need for such road arose with the Roman expansion towards the east. At the time before the road existed, there was no infrastructure in the newly conquered provinces and communication with Rome was hard.

According to some written account, the construction of the road began in 145 BC, under the supervision of Gnaeus Egnatius, the newly appointed governor of the province of Macedonia.

The road took the name of its builder, Gnaeus Egnatius.

Via Egnatia begins on the East shore of the Adriatic Sea, near the ancient port of Dyrrachium (modern day Durres, Albania) and it lays directly opposite from Brindisi, at the end of Via Appia.

Via Appia was one of the oldest and most prestigious roads in the ancient Roman Empire which connected Rome to Brindisi, on the western shore of the Adriatic.

1024px-via_egnatia-en — A map showing Via Egnatia from its beginning to the end. Photo credit

The road then followed the river Genusus (Shkumbin) and went over the Jablanica Mountain from where it descended to the shores of Lake Lychnitis, and it passed near the ancient town of Lychnidos (modern day Ohrid, Macedonia).

From here, the road turns South and goes over a few high mountain passes, and it continues East passing through Pella (the ancient capital of the kingdom of Alexander the Great). Then the road reaches the northern coastline of the Aegean Sea at the city of Thessalonica.

From Thessalonica, the road went all the way to Constantinople (Istanbul), and it covered a total distance of around 1,120 km.

1280px-via_egnatia_radozda — A remaining segment of Via Egnatia near Radozda (a village on the shore of Lake Ohrid) / Photo credit

Since it was constructed, Via Egnatia played a major role in the shaping of the whole region. It was used for spreading Roman culture, religion, and shaping borders.

In the Byzantine days, most of the land trade routes with Western Europe passed through Via Egnatia.

Later, during the Crusades, most of the armies that traveled by land used Via Egnatia to reach Constantinople from where they went to the holy land.

Via Egnatia part of many historically significant moments in Roman history, and it has been mentioned by many historians.

Paul the Apostle (Sain Paul) on Via Egnatia during his famous second missionary journey, traveled from Philippi to Thessalonica and it has been mentioned in Acts of the Apostles (the fifth book of the New Testament)

viaignatia_solun — Remains of Via Egnatia in Thessaloniki / Photo credit

During Caesar’s civil war, Julius Caesar and Pompey the Great marched their armies along Via Egnatia.

One more exciting moment in history happened along the Via Egnatia; the forces of Mark Antony and Octavian followed Cassius and Brutus along Via Egnatia to avenge Julius Caesar’s murder (the battle of Philippi).

Liberators’ civil war Mark Antony and Octavian pursued Cassius and Brutus along the Via Egnatia to their fateful meeting at the Battle of Philippi.

It was also used by the Ottomans during their conquest of Europe.

kavala_egnatia_1 — A surviving part of Via Egnatia near Kavala (Neapolis) / Photo credit

Today, some segments of the Via Egnatia can still be seen scattered across Albania, Macedonia, Greece, and Turkey. This speaks a lot about the durability of ancient Roman roads.

There is also a modern highway in Greece called Egnatia Odos which runs parallel with the ancient Via Egnatia. This stretch that connects Thessaloniki with the Turkish border on the Evros river carries the legacy of the Roman road builders.

Compensation for NSW stolen generations

December 2, 2016

The NSW government will offer survivors of the stolen generations financial compensation as part of a reparation package worth more than $73 million.

The state government will hand down its response on Friday to an inquiry on the forcible removals of Aboriginal people by outlining a package that will include one-off reparation payments of about $75,000 to about 730 survivors and funding for support groups.

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Leslie Williams said the package acknowledges the real and heartbreaking trauma caused by historical government practices.

“There are parts of our history that I, as a minister, and I’m sure many Australians are quite ashamed of,” Ms Williams told ABC radio on Friday.

“We can’t change the past but what we can do is acknowledge those practices of past governments have had such a profound effect on Aboriginal people.”

Ms Williams said the key recommendation being implemented from the parliamentary inquiry is a stolen generation’s advisory committee.

A funeral fund of up to $7000 and a healing fund will also be in the package.

Jan Barham, a Greens parliamentarian who chaired the inquiry, is pleased the state government has adopted nearly all of the 35 recommendations.

Richard Campbell, a member of the stolen generations who was held at the notorious boy’s home at Kinchela, said it is too late and lessons of the past haven’t been learnt as Aboriginal children are still being taken from their families.

“Are they going to give me back my culture? Are they going to give me back my language?” he said on ABC radio.

Fellow Kinchela survivor James Michael Welsh, who is involved with the healing foundation, says the package will be a great help.

“It’s good – anything is good, as long as it can make us keep going forward with our journey.”

Thousand-year-old Bible discovered in Turkey after smugglers tried to sell it to undercover police

Dec 2, 2016

A 1,000-year-old bible was uncovered by police in Turkey after smugglers tried to sell the priceless book to undercover officers.

Police inside the central Turkish city of Tokat confiscated the ancient Bible, along with other priceless artifacts, after they caught smugglers red-handed. In 2015 the three men who were trying to sell the Bible that was written in the old Assyriac language have been arrested. Police also seized 53 ancient coins, jewelry, parts of valuable rings, and two arrowheads.

This Bible has been estimated to be about 1,000 years old, and is illustrated with religious motifs that were formed from gold leaf.

It’s not known where the Bible originated; it has only 51 pages left, and the cover is very damaged. Yet, the pictures created of gold leaf with religious motifs inside of the Bible are still intact, according to the police.

Theologians are now hoping the Bible is going to offer valuable insights into the way Christianity has developed over the past century.

Tokat has appeared in recent years as a center of smuggling activities in uncommon artifacts, a reputation that had been cemented last year with “Orphan Man, Standing”. This was an authentic oil painting by Van Gogh, discovered in the trunk of a vehicle owned by a suspected artifact smuggler.

The exciting news of this finding comes as the world’s oldest bible goes on display at London’s British Museum. The exhibit is titled “Egypt: Faith after the Pharaohs” and has 200 objects that trace Egypt’s religious evolution from the country’s integration into the Roman Empire in 30 BC to the descent of the Islamic Fatimid dynasty in the year of 1171. One of the highlights was part of the 4^th century Codex Sinaiticus, a book written in Greek on animal skin by monks on the Mount Sinai. This volume contained the oldest complete copy of the New Testament.

The oldest surviving copy of Scripture is dated to the 2^nd century, between the years of 101 and 200 AD.

During July of this year, Israeli archaeologists declared that they have discovered a rare inscription of the name of an influential person that was from the time of King David.

This name was also mentioned in the Bible. The researchers discovered a 3,000-year-old ceramic jar inscribed with the name “Eshbaal Ben Beda”; this name is mentioned in the Old Testament in 1 Chronicles, 8:33 and 9:39.

Archaeologists Saar Ganor and Yosef Garfinkel have expressed their doubts, yet the jar belonged to the same Eshbaal that was mentioned in the Bible.

Who knows what the archaeologists will be able to find out about this 1,000-year-old Bible? Only time will tell us the secrets behind this language.

Australian Greek Oztag vs New Zealand score was 23 – 3

Australia’s finest Greek oztag players

Image may contain: 28 people , people smiling

So after a long few months and hard work ppl are finally getting Excited.

Australia’s finest Greek oztag players will be representing Greece This weekend in New Zealand at the 2016 Oceania indiginous invitational Cup..

Good luck to all our players, coaches and managers travelling today and tomorrow I hope you all do is proud and bring back the cup in all divisions.

Day 1 Oceania Cup..

Most our teams did well on day 1..

21s Mens, – Won 2 – Lost 1

Womans, – Lost 3.

Mixed Opens – Won 2

Mens Opens – Won 2

Mens 40s – Lost 3

‘We were mobbed, a scary kind of mobbed’: Aniston recalls being mobbed by paps over baby bump

Aniston calls for readers to stop buying “B.S. tabloids” during her Ellen appearance.Source:YouTube

The actress then called on viewers to stop buying the “B.S. tabloids”.

“Women, I have to say, are many of the authors of these horrible articles written in these B.S. tabloids so we have to stop listening to them and we have to stop buying them,” she said to applause. She finished her thoughts by telling the audience: “It’s up to us what makes us happy and fulfilled.”

In her essay published earlier this year, Aniston called out the sexism she experiences through tabloid stories.

“The way I am portrayed by the media is simply a reflection of how we see and portray women in general, measured against some warped standard of beauty,” she wrote.

Jason Mantzoukas Guest Stars on ‘Gilmore Girls’

Jason_Mantzoukas

Many viewers with early 2000s nostalgia have been anticipating the revival of the popular “Gilmore Girls” series on Netflix, and today we got to see Jason Mantzoukas guest star on one of the new series episodes.

The “Gilmore Girls” revival premiered as four feature-length episodes, each following the mother and daughter duo during a different season in a year of their lives.

Mantzoukas, who is currently playing a detective in the TV comedy “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”, played a role in the “Spring” episode of the show. His character, Robert Castellanos, is a lawyer for Naomi Shropshire, who dissolves her book contract with Rory.

Guest stars old and new showed up in the “Gilmore Girls” revival, including Carole King, Jason Ritter, Sutton Foster, and Mae Whitman.

Check out the revival on Netflix to see Mantzoukas join Lorelai, Rory, and the rest of the Stars Hollow gang back on the small screen.

Documentary Tells Little-known Story of Nazis Murdering the Jews of Kastoria [trailer]

A screening of the documentary titled Trezoros: The Lost Jews of Kastoria Greece is taking place the week of November 25 through December 1, at the Laemmle Music Hall Theater in Los Angeles.

Directed by Lawrence Russo and co-directed and produced by Larry Confino, the documentary chronicles the little-known story of the destruction of what was once a thriving Sephardic Jewish community in Greece in the town of Kastoria, where Christians and Jews lived side-by-side for over 2,000 years.

The tapestry of the town of Kastoria was forever changed when the invasion of the Axis forces took over Greece and eventually sent the Jewish population to its death at Nazi concentration camps.

The survivors themselves tells their stories in Trezoros which is accompanied by never-before-seen archival footage of the devastating events during World War II.

Official Website: trezoros.com/
Screening Venue: laemmle.com/films/41019