11 Mayıs 2012 Cuma
International Politics Lecture
I find it interesting that the British are very good in putting together recent history and facts (a la George Smiley!!) into a coherent whole, to explain issues almost anywhere in the world but do not appear to care enough to come up with sensible possible forecasts and analyses for predicting the future on the basis of what they have concocted. Or they really never had this ability or the agenda.
The Americans are very poor in reading behind and between the lines and have difficulty in explaining the past or the present in realistic terms. What is worst, the Americans will then go ahead and build their own fantasy futures based on crumbling or stacked decks of cards. They then commit themselves to these false futures and have difficulty in changing political, economic, military, (even automobile production) policy to meet the true facts as they become known. By the time they have the clockwork re-arranged, oiled and in working order, the facts have changed and they have a new set of myths, disregarding some of the old ones, replacing others and producing new ones at science fiction writers workshops posing as universities although they also have some very good think tank institutions with better and rational capabilities which are not so popular because they criticize more than they advise.
And then, there are all the puny power hungry individuals and groups everywhere in the world who try to cheat and connive to get a larger portion of a pie they cannot eat in comfort let alone take with them.
April, 2012
10 Mayıs 2012 Perşembe
Mutatis Mutandis
AN ETHICAL POEM
People who moralize
Also demoralize
But do they realize
That what they do, others may plagiarize
Those others who live in many a high-rise
And over us towerize
With smirks and leers and smiles they specialize
Always calling it compromise
When they publicize
What they proselize
Ahmet Cafer Celebiler
April 2012
(Thinking of politicians, Ministers of Education and such)
People who moralize
Also demoralize
But do they realize
That what they do, others may plagiarize
Those others who live in many a high-rise
And over us towerize
With smirks and leers and smiles they specialize
Always calling it compromise
When they publicize
What they proselize
Ahmet Cafer Celebiler
April 2012
(Thinking of politicians, Ministers of Education and such)
4 Temmuz 2010 Pazar
Wedding Dinner at Kennedy Lodge, Bosphorus University, Istanbul, Turkey
Ceylan and Christian with the local parents. (The one on the far right in red is Ceylan's mother)
Christian tickles and Ceylan titters
Through the Looking Glass
Through the Looking Glass
Considering the Murphy laws
A scene from the forthcoming Jane Austen film.
Another one for the film.
3 Mart 2010 Çarşamba
A Travel Poem
This poem applies to many travelers who travel the net before they travel the rest:
The Solipsist’s Travels
T’is a world of mirrors,
Not one of horrors.
When you with yourself travel,
Non of that, “ where shall we dine?" drivel.
You see mostly aspects of you.
And, every time the mirror shows a smiling you,
You say, “Why, thank you!”
“How do you do?”
What a surprise it is when the aspect is not you,
But a strange illusion, always called ‘Who?’
Which keeps creeping up on you,
On the earth, the mountains, the beaches and the blue.
It appear in lobbies,
And tiny cubbies.
Even on the front seats of taxi cabbies,
And transmits thoughts of things like rabies.
Still…., I like traveling with myself,
My one and only existential self.
And when they, the illusions ask:
“How do you enjoy the sun and the bask?”
I say, “You’re so right! When you are a crowd, t’is no mean task.”
03.03.2010
The Solipsist’s Travels
T’is a world of mirrors,
Not one of horrors.
When you with yourself travel,
Non of that, “ where shall we dine?" drivel.
You see mostly aspects of you.
And, every time the mirror shows a smiling you,
You say, “Why, thank you!”
“How do you do?”
What a surprise it is when the aspect is not you,
But a strange illusion, always called ‘Who?’
Which keeps creeping up on you,
On the earth, the mountains, the beaches and the blue.
It appear in lobbies,
And tiny cubbies.
Even on the front seats of taxi cabbies,
And transmits thoughts of things like rabies.
Still…., I like traveling with myself,
My one and only existential self.
And when they, the illusions ask:
“How do you enjoy the sun and the bask?”
I say, “You’re so right! When you are a crowd, t’is no mean task.”
03.03.2010
2 Mart 2010 Salı
Mengen, Devrek, Bartin, Amasra, Inkum
Another impromptu trip took us to Mengen for some unfortunately mediocre food, Devrek, for beautiful canes made of cherry wood, to Bartin of wooden houses haunted by the dead and/or the living.
On this rainy, cool mid-April day we cotinued to drive down to Amasra to get a better feel of the cold rain and the pnemoniac wind, some intresting views from a vantage point and more from a less advantageous perspective, drove back up and down again to Inkum for our motel.
There was a nice sunset, a peaceful walk on the empty promenade and, this time, a less than mediocre set meal, with a bottle of wine which may have been uncorked at the end of the previous tourist season.
There were some couples in the motel and one very large family trying to fit into one or two rooms, definitely with great difficulty, in view of what we surmised to be cries of anguish. The couples were very secretive, so I cannot write anything about them, except that they never smiled and were deeply involved in the seriousness of whatever they thought they were doing.
The next day, unbright but less wet, we went up to Bartin to remedy Eser's forgetfulness. The travelers collection of her cosmetics, skin care, hair brushes, nail blushes, cotton, and of course the case to carry it all, made a well stocked shop of these items delirious with joy. The only thing that she did which almost erased the stupid stuporous smile on my face was the fact that she sneered at many of the "not such a good quality" which she bought with great gusto and abandon. I figured that she was preparing her answer to me for when I see her giving away the whole batch upon her return to Istanbul.
After driving 15-20 k towards Ulus, I remembered that we should have filled up at a Shell station which had a vehicle recognition system, and we may not find another one on the country roads. So we drove back into the city, searching for the petrol station which had managed to move during the last half hour.
This was all to the good, because, it gave us a chance to stop across the street from a wedding store and take photographs to send to our daughter in Chicago, as part of our recommended portfolio, in order to drive her crazy before her marriage so that her husband will not be disappointed with what happens after the marriage.
By the time we left Bartin it was noon according to that garbage can God saw fit to place in the middle of my abdomen. I think that the name of the restaurant was "Sakli Bahce". The cuisine was Southeastern and possibly the Western Black Sea version of this cuisine is better than at most restaurants in Gaziantep or Urfa. The pistacchio kebap on a bed of diced onions and tomatoes instead of pita bread was the best we had ever tasted.
The waiter was good and friendly, but the curious feline visitor was not. She did not accept our offer of cat food from the large bag of such that we carry in our car wherever we go. Heartbroken and disoriented, we left the area in search of other cats.
On this rainy, cool mid-April day we cotinued to drive down to Amasra to get a better feel of the cold rain and the pnemoniac wind, some intresting views from a vantage point and more from a less advantageous perspective, drove back up and down again to Inkum for our motel.
There was a nice sunset, a peaceful walk on the empty promenade and, this time, a less than mediocre set meal, with a bottle of wine which may have been uncorked at the end of the previous tourist season.
There were some couples in the motel and one very large family trying to fit into one or two rooms, definitely with great difficulty, in view of what we surmised to be cries of anguish. The couples were very secretive, so I cannot write anything about them, except that they never smiled and were deeply involved in the seriousness of whatever they thought they were doing.
The next day, unbright but less wet, we went up to Bartin to remedy Eser's forgetfulness. The travelers collection of her cosmetics, skin care, hair brushes, nail blushes, cotton, and of course the case to carry it all, made a well stocked shop of these items delirious with joy. The only thing that she did which almost erased the stupid stuporous smile on my face was the fact that she sneered at many of the "not such a good quality" which she bought with great gusto and abandon. I figured that she was preparing her answer to me for when I see her giving away the whole batch upon her return to Istanbul.
After driving 15-20 k towards Ulus, I remembered that we should have filled up at a Shell station which had a vehicle recognition system, and we may not find another one on the country roads. So we drove back into the city, searching for the petrol station which had managed to move during the last half hour.
This was all to the good, because, it gave us a chance to stop across the street from a wedding store and take photographs to send to our daughter in Chicago, as part of our recommended portfolio, in order to drive her crazy before her marriage so that her husband will not be disappointed with what happens after the marriage.
By the time we left Bartin it was noon according to that garbage can God saw fit to place in the middle of my abdomen. I think that the name of the restaurant was "Sakli Bahce". The cuisine was Southeastern and possibly the Western Black Sea version of this cuisine is better than at most restaurants in Gaziantep or Urfa. The pistacchio kebap on a bed of diced onions and tomatoes instead of pita bread was the best we had ever tasted.
The waiter was good and friendly, but the curious feline visitor was not. She did not accept our offer of cat food from the large bag of such that we carry in our car wherever we go. Heartbroken and disoriented, we left the area in search of other cats.
17 Şubat 2010 Çarşamba
Could Apply to a Person also
POST MODERNISM
A woman posted a post modern letter.
If she had put a stamp on her,
It would have been better.
A long time later
Having waited year after year
The letter did appear
The address was correct
And the recipient exact
But the letter, by now,
Was not intact.
Both the “post”
And the ”modern”
Had been lost, in fact.
A woman posted a post modern letter.
If she had put a stamp on her,
It would have been better.
A long time later
Having waited year after year
The letter did appear
The address was correct
And the recipient exact
But the letter, by now,
Was not intact.
Both the “post”
And the ”modern”
Had been lost, in fact.
3 Aralık 2009 Perşembe
Love humans, love animals
An Observation Regarding Evolution
And Inter-Species Similarities
procrastination
and mastication
have no relation
except when he and she cows
start moving their maws
which behavior is understandable
and sometimes admirable
even for the progeny of Adam, Cain and Abel
Not at all related :-), but upon popular request :
You are invited to view Eser's photo album: Ceylan & Christian's Marriage
Ceylan & Christian's Marriage
Nov 7, 2009by Eser
View Album Play slideshow
If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser:http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/sredir?uname=eser.celebiler&target=ALBUM&id=5406202249724459649&authkey=Gv1sRgCPis9LH4ybbspwE&feat=email
And Inter-Species Similarities
procrastination
and mastication
have no relation
except when he and she cows
start moving their maws
which behavior is understandable
and sometimes admirable
even for the progeny of Adam, Cain and Abel
Not at all related :-), but upon popular request :
You are invited to view Eser's photo album: Ceylan & Christian's Marriage
Ceylan & Christian's Marriage
Nov 7, 2009by Eser
View Album Play slideshow
If you are having problems viewing this email, copy and paste the following into your browser:http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/lh/sredir?uname=eser.celebiler&target=ALBUM&id=5406202249724459649&authkey=Gv1sRgCPis9LH4ybbspwE&feat=email
Kaydol:
Kayıtlar (Atom)
