The Hellenic Navy (HN) (Greek: Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemikó Naftikó, abbreviated ΠΝ) is the naval force of Greece, part of the Greek Armed Forces. The modern Greek navy has its roots in the naval forces of various Aegean Islands, which fought in the Greek War of Independence. During the periods of monarchy (1833–1924 and 1936–1973) it was known as the Royal Navy (Βασιλικόν Ναυτικόν, Vasilikón Naftikón, abbreviated ΒΝ).The total displacement of all the navy's vessels is approximately 150,000 tons.The motto of the Hellenic Navy is "Μέγα το της Θαλάσσης Κράτος" from Thucydides' account of Pericles' oration on the eve of the Peloponnesian War. This has been roughly translated as "Great is the country that controls the sea". The Hellenic Navy's emblem consists of an anchor in front of a crossed Christian cross and trident, with the cross symbolizing Greek Orthodoxy, and the trident symbolizing Poseidon, the god of the sea in Greek mythology. Pericles' words are written across the top of the emblem. "The navy, as it represents a necessary weapon for Greece, should only be created for war and aim to victory."...............The Hellenic Merchant Marine refers to the Merchant Marine of Greece, engaged in commerce and transportation of goods and services universally. It consists of the merchant vessels owned by Greek civilians, flying either the Greek flag or a flag of convenience. Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and a key element of Greek economic activity since the ancient times. Nowadays, Greece has the largest merchant fleet in the world, which is the second largest contributor to the national economy after tourism and forms the backbone of world shipping. The Greek fleet flies a variety of flags, however some Greek shipowners gradually return to Greece following the changes to the legislative framework governing their operations and the improvement of infrastructure.Blogger Tips and Tricks
This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς....This is a bilingual blog in English and / or Greek and you can translate any post to any language by pressing on the appropriate flag....Note that there is provided below a scrolling text with the 30 recent posts...Αυτό είναι ένα δίγλωσσο blog στα Αγγλικά η/και στα Ελληνικά και μπορείτε να μεταφράσετε οποιοδήποτε ποστ σε οποιαδήποτε γλώσσα κάνοντας κλικ στη σχετική σημαία. Σημειωτέον ότι παρακάτω παρέχεται και ένα κινούμενο κείμενο με τα 30 πρόσφατα ποστς.........

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Ηoliday travelers...[ 2578 ]

Favorable forecasts are gift for most holiday travelers


Passengers walk through American Airlines terminal 3 at O'Hare International in Chicago December 23, 2011. The airport is experiencing high volume of travelers during the festive Christmas season. REUTERS-Frank Polich
Holiday travelers Jessica Clay (2nd L) and girlfriend Erin Kuntze (L) of Los Angeles wait to check-in for their flight to New Orleans, Louisiana at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California December 23, 2011. The airport is anticipating some of the busiest travel days just before Christmas as 2.9 million passengers are expected from December 17, 2011 to January 3, 2012. REUTERS-Jason Redmond
Skycaps take in luggage from holiday travelers at Los Angeles International Airport in Los Angeles, California December 23, 2011. The airport is anticipating some of the busiest travel days just before Christmas as 2.9 million passengers are expected from December 17, 2011 to January 3, 2012. REUTERS-Jason Redmond




































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Βy Karin Matz
CHICAGO | Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:14pm EST
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(Reuters) - Holiday travelers throughout most of the United States are getting the gift of good weather to help their travel plans this Christmas Eve.
On Sunday, Christmas Day, at least 99-percent of the country will not have any snowflakes in the air, AccuWeather reported.
"It doesn't get much quieter than this, this time of year," said Tom Kines, a meteorologist with AccuWeather.
But winter storm warnings in the southern Plains, rain and snow in Texas, and rain in the Pacific Northwest could snarl some travel plans in those areas.
Moderate to occasionally heavy snow will continue on Saturday to blanket parts of the southern Plains where winter storm warnings remain in effect, according to the National Weather Service.
The greatest accumulation is expected in far southeast New Mexico and areas west of Midland, Texas.
Along with the southern Plains, parts of Colorado, areas of the Northeast and the Great Lakes region will see a white Christmas with the snow that's already on the ground.
But most of the country will have no new snow on Sunday, with the exception of parts of the Northeast and Great Lakes region, which may see some snow showers. Rain is also expected in parts of the Southeast, reported AccuWeather.
"A large part of the country is going to be green or brown on Christmas Day," said Kines. "It stinks for Santa because he doesn't have the snow for his sleigh."
Kansas City, like most cities in the Midwest, is no exception. Temperatures there were forecast for 47 on Saturday and 48 on Sunday, under sunny skies.
SNOWLESS MINNEAPOLIS
While snowless Christmases are not that unusual in Kansas City, they are more so for Minneapolis. Last year a winter storm 12 days before Christmas dumped 17 inches of snow on the city and caused the roof of the Metrodome, the Minnesota Viking's football stadium, to collapse.
This year, Minneapolis has no snow and will have temperatures in the high 30s over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
According to AccuWeather, El Paso, Texas, and Chicago are tied for seasonal snowfall so far with a total of 1.7 inches.
In a typical December, Chicago sees 8.5 inches of snow. To date this December, Chicago has seen the lowest amount of snow since 2003, according to Victor Murphy with the National Weather Service.
Drought-weary Texans are welcoming the snow and rain there. The worst one-year drought in the state's history sparked devastating wildfires, killed as many as half a billion trees, and prompted the most serious urban water use restrictions ever.

Some of the most extreme water rationing will be lifted this weekend because of the rain. But Roland Ruiz, Vice President of the Edwards Aquifer Authority, which manages the underground reservoir, a main source of drinking water for millions of Texans, said the severe drought is still very much alive.
"Aquifer levels remain well below historic averages, and a return to severe restrictions is possible early in 2012," he said.

Texas needs 10 to 20 inches of rain in some areas just to return to normal levels for the year, and forecasters are not expecting anything close to that.
The National Weather Service's latest Seasonal Drought Outlook forecasts the drought to 'persist or intensify' across all but northeast Texas through March.
(Additional reporting by Jim Forsyth in Austin and Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Jerry Norton)
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