Yıldırım Demirören, the worst Beşiktaş president ever!

Bodyguards defending Mr. Demirören after the game. Source: Lig TV

Last night’s game proved that Beşiktaş as we know is dead as long as Mr. Demirören keeps the throne.  During the game thousands of fans got in fistfights. The fans were divided between pro-Demirören and anti-Demirören. In fact, most of the fans were anti-D but gang-like pro-D attacked them. They attempted to stop anti-D chanting and threatened other fans.

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Google Wave- the new goody?

It seems that Google offers us a new goody to play with.  I saw some Turkish tech bloggers are using the trial versions and they seem to be happy. Well, I am waiting its arrival. There also a round up follows on cybercultural stuff..

Google Wave closer to breaking

by Jennifer Lush

Thumbnail image for Thumbnail image for googlewave.jpgThe Google Wave is one step closer to breaking after the announcement that invitations would be sent to some 100,000 developers, business and university customers and first-time users to preview the service.

A ‘wave’, which is a browser-based tool that is ‘shared, live and in equal parts conversation and document’, has created a particular buzz amongst journalists who see the opportunities that combining email, instant messaging and real-time interaction, opens up. It could very well change the way journalists currently work.

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Web censorship non-stop in Turkey

Erkan would like to thank the “system” whose elements include legal structures and its executioners, current government, complaining parents and other assholic conservative citizens, parts of music industry and pro-establishments zealots, who is behind the continuous and increasing web censorship in Turkey.

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Photography of Merve Tekeoğlu

Merve Tekeoğlu

I have met Merve Tekeoğlu through Youth Studies Unit at Bilgi U. At one point we have become Facebook friends and I happen to see her photo uploads from time to time. She has a particular album of photos she has taken and I am quite fascinated with her shoots of ordinary human faces, some scenes from the campus and her -as far as I understand- more montages photos. I publish here some of her photos after getting permission from her. I asked her if she has a website or blog where she publishes her photos. She said she only used her Facebook profile so far. In case, she has a public place where she exhibits, I will let you know. Until then, here is a selection:

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Hülya Avşar and Ceylan Önkol; ending up in the same, Kurdish narrative…

Hülya Avşar
Hülya Avşar

After some disappointing and unnecessary remarks, a popular culture icon, Hülya Avşar was interviewed in Milliyet and this ended up with an investigation.

Challenge for Infamous Prosecutor: BIA Quotes Avşar Interview
Bakırköy Public Prosecutor Ali Çakır’s investigation against Hülya Avşar and Devrim Sevimay has nothing to do with “justice”. This abuse of public power under the pretense of the “Kurdish Initiative” is nothing else but mobbing against the two women. We are protesting.

In the mean time, a scandal might be developing:

A Facebook group accusing military forces in the local area

“The family of a girl killed by a mortar shell fired from an unknown location overlooking the village of Şenlik in Diyarbakır province has asked how it can request an investigation into her death when there are no state authorities in the area…VIA

Diyarbakır Chief Prosecutor Durdu Kavak has said that two bomb experts are conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Ceylan Önkol in the village of Şenlik in Diyarbakır province following her family’s allegations that there were no state authorities in the area to provide assistance. VIA

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Irish and Lisbon treaty. Part II

Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary has spent half a million euros ...

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has spent half a million euros fighting for a Yes vote on the Lisbon Treaty. Ireland was voting Friday on the EU’s Lisbon Treaty in a crunch second referendum. (AFPTV)

Fear and anger

Economic slump clouds Irish vote on Lisbon Treaty

A huge round up on the referendum and other news from the EU

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Shoe-throwing- Turkish version

last update: 02 Oct. 2009- 10:50

Todays Birgüns first page
Today's Birgün's first page

The paper for whom Mr. Özbek works for shows solidarity, I guess. “Everyone needs a shoe one day”. The thrown shoe is an imitation Nike shoe.

Selçuk Özbek, an editor at Birgün, a leftist daily, throws a shoe at Mr. Strauss-Kahn. The incident took place at another campus of my university. I was in the other campus, waiting  for the introductory meeting with Media MA students. At first, we thought he was one of our students but he turned out to be a journalist. Not particularly imaginative after the original show throwing event. Mr. Strauss-Kahn responded maturely.

The protester has been released during the day. My Facebook and Friendfeed newsstream is full of comments praising the action although I am not that excited. More in the comments section…

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Warning! Erkan is working on a new design

last update: 01 October 2009

post-service settlement -Part III

Since I had become a free man again, one of the most productive things I am working on is the new design. I am just too happy with WordPress and the new theme. All goodies like ratings, or statistics, or taggins are other benefits. It seems that it works smoothly. I still have some transfer work to do but that’s all right. The static pages are also good. I will try to give news in blog posts whenever there are updates in Pages. So far, the blog has these pages:

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