With an increasingly busy schedule (May will be overwhelming) and CIV 7 playing, I could not find much time to unbox for a while. There is also the problem of storage. Where will I put the boxes? I am redesigning my office space and also our apartment. In the meantime, here are some findings: 1988 … Read more
I came across a video that substantively summarizes the history of Turkish rap to the present. When stuck in Istanbul’s traffic, you find new stuff on YouTube that you would not normally look at. Now, I’ve made a list of albums to listen to without compromising my metalhead identity. Here is a summary of the … Read more
An anthropologist plunges into the world of Patagonian heavy metal music in Argentina to explore how the genre relates to language and cultural revitalization. Read the rest here: How Heavy Metal Fuels Indigenous Revival in Patagonia
After 4 or 5 years, Istanbul finally got a good load of snow that immediately broke down the city’s ordinary life. Traffic was overloaded, the roads were not good for many to drive, and schools were closed. We are not in a formal closure, but most lecturers worked at home as the classes will start … Read more
Since our US trip this summer, Sinem and I have had a hobby of re-watching our iconic TV shows. After finishing up Lost and Prison Break, we started watching The Walking Dead. In fact, I haven’t watched it before, only a few episodes in the very first season. In general, I do not like the … Read more
No need to be alarmed! I just got overwhelmed with the stuff I am working on. While working on several papers and projects, I have to finish up grading- and some undergraduate students are acting ruder than normal- some graduate students are disappointing- but only a few, but it still hurts me- and in the … Read more
I started watching Gassal, and it was better than I expected. In some ways, it can be classified as more artsy than mainstream. However, because the public TV channel produced it, it was immediately trapped between opposing political circles. Apart from the content, this one seems to follow another public TV product, Leyla ile Mecnun—conservatives … Read more
Just finished watching Quo Vadis, Aida?. A heart-wrenching story: Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. A film, once again, reminding the complicity of international organizations … Read more
My all-time favorite metal band, Slayer, opened its archive to the public (!) SLAYER UNLEASHES “SLAYTANIC VERSES,” AN UNHOLY MUSEUM Slayer invites their fans to take the plunge into the abyss with the official launch of their new online museum, Slaytanic Verses. Unveil Slayer’s hidden world and explore their personal archives. There’s nothing quite like … Read more
00:01 Lars Ulrich faces criticism from bandmates and others 00:46 Ulrich regrets mistreating Newstead 01:30 Lars Ulrich’s strong influence on Metallica’s sound 02:17 Lars Ulrich’s controversial behavior has not been forgiven by some in the rock community. 03:01 Tension between Dave Mustaine and Lars Ulrich 03:42 Dave Mustaine refused to release 1982 demo due to … Read more
Hell yeah! 00:06 Women are making significant strides in the metal music scene. 03:28 Women pioneers in metal music 06:05 Metal women can growl, shout, and roar regardless of gender, focusing on technique. 08:57 Women in metal face challenges and discrimination 11:36 Metal scene is opening up for women musicians. 14:03 Women in metal are … Read more
The very first post archived here I came back to Istanbul for the fieldwork in 2004. Chris Kelty recommended blogging as a research tool. He set up the first blog at frazer.rice.edu, which does not exist now. I defended my thesis in 2009. However, I kept blogging. It has become a life-long project and a … Read more
I am not into Turkish serials that much, and some of Netflix’s Turkish products are terrible. However, I could not stop watching Kübra. A strong script- despite many loopholes and some bad acting- that merges AI anxieties with religious communitarian beliefs and social protest. I loved the second season more!
The video is age-restricted and only available on YouTube. I could not embed it here. Here is the video to watch I have seen it trending on TikTok and a restricted form can be found at Youtube. [Intro] Woo Yeah [Verse 1] The people, they won’t leave What is threatenin’ about divesting and wantin’ peace? The … Read more
Toxicity in Turkish football finally lead to a next level of crisis: Attack on a referee The attack was started by a club president. Let’s see what happens to him since he is well connected to ruling party circles. Halil Umut Meler, a Turkish football referee, was the victim of a shocking act of violence … Read more