Statement on behalf of UEFA and its 55 national associations Thursday, July 30, 2026 UEFA and its 55 member associations stand as one. We unanimously and unequivocally reject FIFA’s proposal to transfer ownership interests in the World Cup and other FIFA competitions to private investors. The World Cup cannot be treated as an investment product. … Read more
I do not remember so much enmity among audiences against a team like Argentina in a World Cup in my lifetime. The Argentinians were aggressive, acting like bullies, and were shown favoritism throughout the game. So symbolic that Netanyahu gave them support. Last night, I was Spanish, and so were millions around the world As … Read more
An X user: Semih Kılıç, who scored 12 goals at age 19 for Beşiktaş, was benched. To keep Semih from playing in Euro 24, Barış Alper was made the center forward, but Barış failed to score or assist in any of the matches he played. Semih was brought into the game in the final minute … Read more
Here is a video that discusses the corruptness. Mostly related to expensive ticketing… Here, the video highlights (by Merlin AI): 1) Overview – Topic: The high cost of World Cup tickets, the dynamics of the ticket market, and FIFA’s revenue distribution and associated practices. – Scope: Comparison across tournaments (notably vs. Qatar), the role of … Read more
I guess I am getting nostalgic. I have started watching my childhood favorite TV show, Knight Rider. It took decades to have self-driving cars. Contemporary critical reception Many mainstream TV critics in the 1980s dismissed Knight Rider as shallow and gimmicky.[2][1] Reviews often called it “silly,” “juvenile,” or “trash TV,” focusing on the implausible talking … Read more
I am losing my respect for Wim Wenders fast, but I continue to admire Emin Alper. I remember Emin from our college days as a nice, calm person. Here’s what happened at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale 2026): The Context: Wim Wenders’ Controversy German filmmaker Wim Wenders, serving as jury president of the … Read more
The Beşiktaş District Governor’s Office banned the shows on public morals and public order grounds after an Islamist-led smear campaign, framing the bands as “satanic” and “against societal values.” Official reason The Beşiktaş District Governorate issued a decision canceling the Slaughter To Prevail (10 Feb) and Behemoth (11 Feb) concerts at Zorlu PSM, stating that … Read more
Two elder statesmen of thrash metal, whom I have listened to since I was 13, released new albums. While Megadeth sounds like a dignified goodbye, Kreator feels very much alive. It is always nice to listen to old-school thrash, and I have asked Perplexity below to find and collect major reviews. Megadeth is listenable, but … Read more
As impunity continues, Bursaspor fans eagerly add new insults to Kurdish citizens. In the past, Beşiktaş fans regularly clashed with Bursa fans, as their aggressive attitudes were not limited to Kurdish citizens. But their racist nationalism has a particular hate against Kurds. Here are some of the major incidents I collected with Perplexity’s help: … Read more
I want to resume my active Beşiktaş fandom, but it is so hard to focus on the game itself amid these scandals. Türkiye is currently facing a major football betting scandal, with over 1,000 professional players under investigation and suspended by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) for alleged involvement in illegal sports betting activities. The … Read more
The movie “The Voice of Hind Rajab” has ignited widespread emotional and critical reactions, especially following its premiere at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, where it received a record-breaking 23-minute standing ovation. Critics and audiences alike describe the film as a devastating, deeply moving, and essential portrayal of one child’s tragic fate amid the Gaza … Read more
Just listened to their third album, “Revenge at All Costs” (2022) It has a strong traditional thrash sound, but the band is classified as a groove/nu metal band originally from Tehran, Iran, now based in Oslo, Norway, best known for being imprisoned by Iranian authorities due to their anti-religious and anti-government lyrics. The band was … Read more
I finally won in the highest difficulty level today! I spent 407.7 hours since I bought it this year, and I finally reached deity status. In the God mode, your rivals are consistently producing more Science. Whatever I did, I could not beat them, but this did not prevent me from winning in the Science … Read more
As I reached episode 79 in the original series, here is the final installment of ChatGPT’s in-depth research results on fan communities. Fan literature has never been as prevalent as in the US, and its nature may differ, but there is still something to discover. In the 70ish episodes of the series, “Illuminati” was introduced … Read more
It is hard to find a good thrash metal sound nowadays. Sodom’s latest album works well in this respect. A few songs are notable, but as usual, the whole album sounds like something I am more interested in. Reactions to Sodom’s “The Arsonist” (2025) Critical Reception Consistent and Ferocious Thrash: Critics widely agree that The … Read more