Kurnaz Ahmet -English Language Student-

Cancelled Flight? Ohh, noo!

2012-01-23T23:25:00.003+02:00

       This Sunday, on 22nd Jan 2012, I got stuck at Esenboga Airport, Ankara due to a cancelled flight, which was planned to be performed from Ankara to Siirt, a south-eastern province of Turkey.

        Everything was going nice and sweet until when we were informed that our flight to Siirt had been cancelled. No explanation, no logical reason! The lady speaking continuously at the airport was informing passengers saying: "Ladies and gentlemen, pay attention, please! Borajet Airlines flight number TK-9030 to Siirt has been cancelled due to bad weather conditions." It sounds very annoying and frustrating, doesn't it? At METU, everybody left the university around Friday or Saturday, but yours is postponed one day more, that is Monday.

       After this madding announcement, everybody left the waiting lodge and led to the ticket sale's counter to learn what to do then. The man at the back side of the counter was alone himself when I arrived and asked him to cancel and return my ticket. But later, I called my dad and kindly requested him to learn if there is a bus going to Siirt from Ankara. The time was about 2 p.m. and when my dad called back telling me there was one at 3.30 p.m., I did not think that I would make it to AŞTİ (Ankara Intercity Transportation Bus Terminal) till that time. There was a long queue in front of Turkish Airlines ticket sale's counter but I resisted that I would reach to the front side at all cost. Waited, waited and waited... Time was ticking away, such a miserable me at that time.

        I was very tired, when it was finally my turn. I gave my boarding card and the lady sitting there said my name was not on the list. I went back to other counter, which is a trademark of Turkish Airlines, and they came to help. When I eventually learnt that there was a flight to Batman, very near to Siirt, in the following day, Monday at 9.25 a.m., I felt quite relieved.

      This was the first time that I faced such a chaotic case at the airport. I happened to miss my airplane in Diyarbakır, but I had never seen my flight as "cancelled" on the information screen. Here is the video that describes my situation at Esenboga, Ankara on this Sunday. It is an advertisement of an application optimized for Android and iPhone cell phones. I know I went beyond the word limitation, as I couldn't help myself but write this in detail. May God never make me face such cases again! :)

Black and White Segregation - Martin Luther King Jr.

2012-01-23T20:21:00.000+02:00

        Can you imagine fearing your life every single day just because of your skin tone or your heritage? Or what's worse, can you image a world where you are hanged only because of your ideas on a specific subject such a racism or genocide? Of course, none of us would like to live in such a terrible and horrible earth. Rather, we would prefer to die instead of struggling with these nonsense cases. But there is someone who resisted all this segregation and discrimination, Martin Luther King Jr. So, uhmm who's he?

        Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the very important figures who supported and fought for the freedom for the Negro. He tried a lot and became a legend amongst both the White and the Black. He delievered a lot of speeches before the very crowded audience and he never tended to use violent power to have the Negro's rights. Because he knew that the way to have one's right should be non-violent and non-aggressive, he preferred to perform sit-in acts and protest marches. Due to his characterictics of insistence, he covered a long distances during the way that he devoted himself. That he was a clergyman, who was grown as a very devoted religious person, did not affect the case at all, as we can see in the video that Muslims also put support behind him.

       All in all, what he did for the Negro and people living in the USA helped everyone to think out of box and express the idea of freedom of thought regardless of skin tone or something else. This has certainly contributed a lot to his fame all around the USA and the world. "He had a dream and his dream came true!"

Video Ref 3: In Bruges - Movie Introduction

2012-01-21T22:31:00.002+02:00

In this reflection, I will try to introduce you a movie that I enjoyed watching very very much.

In the movie, two Irish hit men, Ray and Ken, are requested by their boss Harry Waters to perform a duty in the city of Bruges, Belgium for about two weeks. However, things become up the creek a bit, when they kill an innocent kid inside the church. After they leave for Bruges, they are instructed to be awaiting for further request on killings from Harry. By the way, Harry and Ray wander around the city and share their opinion about the life in Bruges with one another. Harry is in the opinion of that Bruges is very nice city to go around, while Ray does not support him at all. Ray hates wandering around Bruges until when he happens to see a lady, Chloe, with whom he suddenly fall in love and become highly interested.

At the later stages of the movie, the interactions and quarrels between Ray, Harry and Ken are quite interesting to watch. After having killed a little kid accidentally, Ray says that he never ever forgives himself for this. On the other hand, Ken tries to convince him that that's not his fault, actually. When the boss becomes clued up about this case, he puts himself on the road and decides to punish Ray for this case. He arrives in the city and meets with Ray and Ken. They have a short conversation and Harry gets to the work.

Finally, I think it is long enough for you to have some real significant clues about the movie. That is, you had better download the movie and watch it on your own to see what happens in the rest of movie.

Video Ref 1: True Life I am an International Student

2012-01-21T00:33:00.001+02:00

As an introductory part, we can say that students taking part in this video are very willing to educate themselves are ready to give whatever necessary during this process. Independent from the result’s being satisfactory or unsatisfactory; they are quite willing to participate in educational processes at all costs.

Students put emphasize on the creativity and teamwork that American education system includes. That’s why they are now in America and keeping their studies going on. They also suppose that American schools provide them with more opportunities such as practical language usage and getting used to studying in a foreign country.

A student resorted to ask her grandfather, who has a friend graduated from Ohio University, to learn more about the schools in the USA as he has been living in there for 22 years now. That made sense because by doing this she was able to get the knowledge that Ohio University was a very small and easy to get accustomed to the way of teaching and culture that they have there.

Another student stated that after an entrance exam, students are forced to choose a major and once students get to the college they are not allowed to change their major. Another thing that one student talked about is that American education system, in some matters, is much more flexible than her own country and lays stress on she can do much more stuff alongside studying. Taking place in smaller classes, their instructors are much closer, more supportive and very willing to help them in every detail at all.

As for the yearly cost that they have to pay is around $ 30.000-35.000, to which they find quite fair. This money includes almost flying costs, accommodation, food, and tuition fees. They also say positive things about the culture that Americans show to them. For example, the girl coming from China is not into the drying machines as they still string their clothes out in her house garden and the boy seems to have found American people quite sociable and outgoing in some aspects. The other girl also adores the life in American because she has set a new goal in her life since she came to America and thinks this is priceless making sure that she would not have the same goals if she did not come to America. It is also said in the video that almost every student going to another country for an education purpose is highly vulnerable to be affected by any ways of cultural shock.

I haven’t personally thought of going to the USA for educational purposes so far in that I’m not a big fan of Americans. They do not appeal to me in some ways of life styles, yet I cannot criticize the way that they educate their people, I respect them! This is not only about the USA; it is also about any foreign country. I cannot dare to live in a foreign country for an extended, long period of time such as one semester or two. It appears to me that the time I spend there might be quite hard to deal. My experience from the past tells me that it is less likely for me to go to another country for educational processes. But anyway, I do not want to talk big, I want to stay focused on my current education for which I need to make much time. That’s all!

Reflection 4: The Way Food Lovers System Works

2011-12-30T12:01:00.005+02:00

Food Lovers System is a so-called dieting program which is based on balancing the level of Glycemic in your body and helps you to lose weight while still eating whatever you want. So far, by means of this program, many people managed to succeed to lose the amount of weight that they really desired. The main idea of this system is tied to generally two things: one is that the food you eat is stored in your body after the entrance, and the other is that food is used a component to burn the fat present in your body.

In this job, it your body’s and insulin’s job to decide which food to use a storage in your body, which ones to use to raise the level of blood sugar or finally the ones to be used to burn the fat in your body. That means the food we eat a day is divided into 3 ways of utilization in accordance with their structures. What Food Lovers System does at this point of eating process is closely related to these 3 different ways of use of insulin in your body. It canalizes insulin into being burnt and making glycemic index at its upper level.

Wonder how you can lose weight while eating freely?

At first, this idea of dieting may sound quite strange to your ears, yet as the time passes by and you get used to the idea of losing weight in this way you will have a great chance to get fit and healthy in a good way.

Here you are supposed to eat the “right food”, actually. If you want to consider yourself a healthy person, then what you need to do is to stick to an eating program which pledges you a healthful life in the rest of your life.

As a matter of fact, today almost everybody knows that carbs are the main reasons for gaining weights. To make this clear, we can say that when the carbs going into your body increase, it causes your level of blood sugar to fluctuate as well, which finally leads to the variable levels of insulin in the blood. Here you are expected to understand and derive from the previous sentences that fast and slowly burning carbs differ from each other in some aspects. That is, fast burning carbs usually happen to give you a sense of relief and relaxing, and burst of energy as well. These kinds of carbs tend to make you feel fit and healthy in the very early hours of a day. On the other hand, slowly burning carbs might not give you the same exciting feeling when you eat them. It is a general fact and scientifically-verified data that fast burning carbs are much important than the rest. One day, if you happen to have a controlled glycaemia index and the correct amounts of right foods altogether, which means that you have reached to the point where you can prefer having anything you want. When you are done with this job, you will have a chance to get rid of cliché dieting programs which ban people from eating whatever they want.

Snacks for all!

Many people tend to eat a vast number of snack or fast foods, which are usually easy to prepare and have. Food Lovers System allows people to eat those kinds of foods such as chocolates, cookies, french fries, ice creams and other so-called stuff as well by advising them on eating balanced. The very important part of these feeding is to have these snacks in portions by which you can feed yourself quite balanced.

Above all, it is good to hear a vast number of positive feedbacks from the users of this program, Food Lovers System, which never bans you from eating what you want and just tries to help you balance your level of insulin in your blood and glycaemia index in your body. Once you get into the world of Food Lovers System, you will never want to drift away from this program at all!

Finally, it is quite significant to note that you will teach your body and mind to eat what you really must with the help of this great, ground-breaking Food Lovers System!

Reflection 3: Sorts of Backing up Your Data

2011-12-28T22:24:00.003+02:00

In some cases, we all need to back our useful and valuable data on something special. In our life, we have once or twice bumped into the possibility of losing our data for good. That may sometimes be annoying and frustrating as this occasion will do not provide you with the chance of recovering your old data. Some did back up, while others did not and resulted in failure and stalemate. So, if you do not want to face such a tough situation, take these warnings into consideration and behave in accordance with them. As there are both advantages and disadvantages of either ways of data backing up, you had better choose the best suitable one for you!

1. Store your data in a portable device such as NAS

NAS, which means network attached storage, is designed to store your data on a dedicated server. What’s more, you can use this device both wired and wirelessly, which means you can have a varying range of options of storage. If you couple your computer and NAS device, it is easier to use whenever you want. As for the advantages, NAS storage device has the ability of backing up a number of computer hard drives at a time. Moreover, it has the option of “set and forget”, allowing you to back up your data autmotically. However, the price you are required to pay may be of a bit expensive one. So do research the market before purchase.

2. Make use of an External or Portable Hard Drive

You may now be thinking of the possible difference between a NAS device and a portable hard disc, let us say it! A NAS device can connect to more than one computer at a time, while a portable hard drive can do this only for one computer. Over and above, these devices are sometimes wired and sometimes wireless, depending upon the features offered. As the times passes by, new kinds of USB compatibilities are coming to light as in some computers need to have the capability of being compatible with USB 3.0 while others cannot meet these requirement. Thinking why to use this device? So, it is quite useful at times and easy to plug in and out, while offering you to take advantage of “set and forget”. On the other hand, it is highly possible that your portable hard drive can be harmed at varying occasions, leading to undesirable data failure. The more capacity your hard drive has, the more expensive it becomes.

3. Burn your data to a DVD, CD, or Blu-ray Disc

Taking a look at a vast range of variable films, music, games and other stuff on CD’s, and DVD’s, we can say that making use of this type of backing up data may be out of fashion yet quite reliable and cheaper. That is, it is less likely that you will face a driver failure while using this way of back-up. In this way, you have chance of storing your data in a different, safe and secure place, making your mind feel relieved. Nevertheless, there are also some cons such as spending a lot of time on this way of back up, always looking forward to the devices that offer the capability of CD/DVD support, and becoming quite pricey when bought at large quantities.

4. Upload to Online web sites

Amazon.com/S3, Dropbox.com, Mozy.com, and ADrive.com are the web sites that are in the head of this type of storage. These sorts of web sites are becoming much popular than ever as they allow users to reach their data when they are connected to the internet. As for the pros of this type of storage, it is quite easy-to-use and cheaper than ever. So you can make your mind sure of staying your data in a remote and secure place. But that does not mean you will have a limitless storage option, sometimes bounding your claims. Finally, bear in mind that you may face the possibility of closing down the web site on which you save your data.

5. USB Flash Drives are easy-to-use in daily life

As the technology advances, we are seeing some improvement in the capacity of storage of USB flash drives; however, they are still expensive and not affordable for everyone. USB flash drives are generally of low storage capacity and can be used in daily habits such as carrying a word document, some photos, and little presentations. Being cheaper, portable in general, you may make use of this device, which is now available in 3.0, in your daily life. Albeit, we recommend that you do not use this device in long-term as you may face some unwanted data failure, and pay attention not to apply any pressure on it while carrying your drive in your pocket.

In this article, I have tried to offer some useful ways of data storage that may be of high importance for you. These types of data storage are the ones that have been in use for a long time and recommended by most of the technology gurus. However, it is always up to you to choose which one, yet you can count yourself lucky because you know the pros and cons of different types of storage devices. Choose the best, help your data stay safe and secure!

Rewriting Exercise 1

2011-11-24T17:24:00.000+02:00

Easy Rewriting Style - No Worries

Our beagle, which sometimes needs someone to open the back door for her, loves to hunt very much at all. When she is out, she barrels down porch steps into the yard and runs to and fro across the lawn in ecstasy. Her nose strolls around the wet grass to be able to find cats’, rabbits’, and other kinds of creatures’ smells, which are usually hard for human beings to distinguish. While she is spinning her tail clockwise and counterclockwise in quick circles, she also sniffs. One can think these two actions altogether.

Very few people are with the knowledge of existence of The Government Printing Office located in Washington D.C., which is the official publishing house for the federal government and a source of very broad scale of information on a vast variety of subjects ranging from the dangers of X-rays given off by TV sets in your homes to the identification of mushrooms most of which are provided by the Superintendent of Documents and usually free of charge at all.

A man called John Jacob Astor, from Germany, reaped America’s first fortune. This uneducated and lowborn guy made his first stage into the trade with selling Indian furs. Although he never managed to learn how to speak English well, which was typical for German gutters, he went on being busy with his business for good with this broke accent.

Reflection 2: Make Money Easily - Take Online Surveys

2011-11-24T12:36:00.002+02:00

Taking online surveys available on some specific web sites may provide you with not only an extra income with which you can buy much different stuff but also some excellent prizes which you will keep in mind forever. By doing this, you most probably will need to get used to the idea of receiving a little amount of extra cash if you are a suitable person for this easy-to-overcome job such as being a housewife, retired person, internet addicted one or so. Regardless of your social or cultural background, you can have some more extra money which you can spend on supplying your basic needs.

At first sight, you may probably think that it is almost possible for someone to tell his ideas and get some money in return, yet this is actually true! Yes, you can believe your eyes. Tell your opinion to the businesses which are looking for a specific subject result and receive some money back. That’s what exactly some businesses are looking for! They need some feedback on some occasions by which they have a chance to revise or adjust their products or policies. What they are aiming at is actually related to the service we are being given at this time. If they happen to learn what we think about their products, then they might predict how to improve the product quality, prices, and other qualifications which are of crucial importance to the policy-makers working for a company. To do this, they reserve some money to the introduction and advertisement of a newly-launched or during the launch process of a product.

The first step that you need to take is to sign up for a safe and secure web site which helps you navigate how you can take surveys and earn money. You also do not need to know deeply into a large numbers of subjects. It is enough that you state your interests, likes, and dislikes on your profile and you will get the surveys accordingly, meaning that you will be asked what you are really interested in. For example, you might give a try to a music company if you are someone of a musician soul. If you are a housewife, you might possibly take a number of surveys on the household. But make sure that you will not get some extra cash for each survey that you take; instead you may be on a lucky streak and get some free trial products sent by companies. The more surveys you take the better chances of earning extra cash and sample items.

As stated above, you are kindly requested to read all of the important parts available on survey web sites if you do not want to face any problem after you take a large number of surveys. Some web sites send fake surveys and do not give your money that you deserve. Before making a start, you had better read all of the FAQ’s and privacy policy. Some survey web sites also requires such large numbers of surveys in that they give your money only when you reach to a predefined amount of money determined by web site administrators. Yet, that does not necessarily mean that you will receive your money under any circumstances. Here it is your responsibility to confirm that you are signing up for a reliable, trustworthy, and secure web site. Most web sites make use of PayPal, which is easy and useful, and credit card account numbers to pay your money that you earned by taking some surveys, but you are again in charge of preserving your personal information and not being deceived some spam or fake web site providers. Lastly, we tell you to protect and pay attention to your personal information and rights in a virtual environment that you have never been to!

Video Ref. 2: Gmail with a New Design

2011-11-07T12:39:00.004+02:00

Last year in July, it was known that Google would update most of their products in the following days including Gmail as well. And now, we can see what has changed since then and how delightful these new designs and updates are.

The searching page also was amongst this to-be-updated stuff. It is quite clear that Gmail technical team has not been OK with the latest update of Gmail outlook and felt the need to make another update on it. That also drew many technology-based web sites’ attention, including our team too.

User Experience Designer on Gmail, Jason Cornwell, says in their introductory video: “We have been hard at work to update Gmail with a new look and I’m excited to share with you some of the biggest improvements. To start, we’ve completely redesigned the look and feel of Gmail to make it as clean, simple and intuitive as possible.”

Now, let’s take a closer look into this newly-launched design and its new features provided by Google Inc.

Simplified and Clean Outlook
Following the latest update, that did not satisfy most people, Gmail Team launched another update to keep up with likes of communities. The main problem was that Gmail was quite pale in appearance and that was solved immediately. By this, Gmail Team managed to conquer the hearts of people by having a new, clean, and modern look launched.

Theme Features
To help people reflect their inner selves to Gmail appearance, they have added a vast number of theme options, some of which also alters depending on the part of your country.

“The new look allows themes to really shine and we’ve updated many of them with new, high-resolution imagery. You may want to take a moment to check out one of the many new high definition themes.”

Altered Conversation and Chat Options
“Some people use a lot of labels, other chat a lot. You can now adjust the size of the label and chat areas to meet your needs. Even if you do nothing, Gmail adapts to you. Conversations in Gmail have been redesigned to improve readability and to feel more like a real conversation. We have also added profile pictures so you can see who said what." says, Jason Cornwell.

Customizable in New Ways
The number of the messages that are to be shown on your main page of Gmail can be customized in accordance with your likes. You can make a choice between comfortable, cozy, and compact ones.

Search
“Searching is at the heart of Gmail. The new search box makes it easy to customize your search and find exactly what you’re looking for. You can also create a filter from the search box.”

A New Toolbar:
After the new update available now, you can access Contacts and Tasks by clicking Mail on the left, below the Gmail logo. Toolbar options like Archive, Spam, and Labels are now collapsed until you need them. Select or open a message to see actions you can take. Most toolbar options are now graphic icons or shorter text to keep your toolbar more consistent. They’re in the same order as before, and hovering over the buttons will remind you of their meaning.

Once and for all, Gmail with a new design is seemingly much better than the older versions of it. For now, this new update is not available for everyone around the globe, yet the Team announced that they would make this new design available to everyone who wishes to upgrade on their own right away.

Reflection Journal 1: Being a METU student

2011-10-28T00:12:00.003+03:00

As a first reflection, I want to write about my experiences at METU during the very early days. I'm becoming aware of some different and significant things such as not having to wear uniforms, not standing up when our professors arrive in the classrooms, and having classes without bells, having 6 lessons of absenteeism in most lessons, which all reflect the varieties from high school days.

I myself have been in Ankara, near METU, since the university registration date, 5th September 2011, so I have adapted to the life at METU much more easily than others, meaning that I did not have any problem of finding my way to The Faculty, my dormitory or somewhere else.

Now that it has been almost 2 months since I came here, I'm feeling as if I have been in this city for decades. At first, I was a bit confused about the way that our "ring" buses works in our campus, yet now I have sorted out how they operate during the day and try to keep up with the times they arrive to the bus stops. That, of course, does not mean that we are problem-free people. The time intervals that ring buses arrive are not that frequent and especially at night we are getting into trouble whether to go to Çarşı places or not because of the half-hour interval ring services. This occasion causes us great uncertainty and instability when we wish to have some foods, wander around the campus, or other stuff.

Being supported financially by METU is one of the reasons that I have preferred to be here. And also not being very willing to go to such a big metropolitan as Istanbul, I found Ankara to be more suitable for my likes and desires in return. I also have the possibility to be with my friends whom I value very much at times, and study altogether with them whenever needed. I love to be with my friends and keep in touch with them all the time.

Lastly, I want to underline that I'm quite satisfied with being here, and the life at METU is something that cannot be expressed in words and should be experienced in person. Being a METU student cannot be measured materially and should be felt in heart. Much as I feel that METU cannot be something like that in some condition, but anyone with a low level of information about universities can get the idea that not everyone usual can make it to METU, so I can count my lucky!

Foreign Trading With Pros and Cons

2011-10-05T15:19:00.000+03:00

Foreign exchange trading, whose very common name is in such a great request that many people around the globe are watching it closely and trying to do business by means of it. The main point Forex trading makes is that it can exchange the currencies of a vast range of countries. It is something like trading US Dollars for Euros, or other currencies.

In parallel with the advancing technology, the demand on the Forex Trading is continually increasing and that means we will do our economic business on the internet as the time goes by, making the physical exchange out of fashion. It is very good news that one has the possibility of making a foreign exchange trade fast and easily. Usually dependent on your intentions, it is quite easy to command your computer to make your business working all the time.

Why and how to work with foreign exchange trading system

Easy Business Transactions

Just before the companies ship some products from the USA to the European countries, they need to exchange their money from US Dollars to Euros. To make this happen easily, they are taking the advantage of forex trading system making their money transactions in a few minutes of time.

Speculations

If you want to benefit from the price fluctuations, it is quite ideal for you to use foreign exchange trading systems as they will help you know more about the future of money currencies. Institutions and individual traders are also in the side of using this trading system as a reference in their worldwide business. When natural person or legal identity is expecting the Euro currency to increase in total value, they are immediately thinking of making a trade on Euro for US dollars, which is usually called as EUR/USD. This process cannot be called only buying Euros on Forex trading system, but also trading Euros against US Dollars. Another name for this action is going long on EUR/USD. However, when you realize that Euro’s total value is increasing, you can give an end to the trading and making use of a he profit in a short span of time.

The main, basic price of Forex

This exchange system is usually conducted by a Forex broker whose main responsibilities include receiving a vast range of prices from a number of banks by means of private networks, which are called as “The Interbank”. This network, The Interbank, cannot be titles as an actual single network; however it is used as a main tool between the people trading with each other. That means it is highly possible that you may see a vast range of prices at these banks.

Since the first times of Forex trading system, there has been such a great demand on it that it is becoming an established system activity on the markets. Main currencies with which you can trade your money include Euros, British Pounds, US Dollars, the Australian Dollar, and the Japanese Yen and so on. In the very beginning, the rich was able to trade on this system but now you can even start with some money of worth of $10 and do your further business in the future. Watch the currencies closely and pay attention to your money!

5 Tips to Bolster up Affiliate Marketing Strategies

2011-10-05T15:15:00.002+03:00

There is almost nobody left not knowing this phrase told by inventor and mathematician Archimedes: “Give me a lever long enough and a place to stand, and I can move the earth.”

This phrase is such a meaningful one for affiliate marketers that they taking it as example and trying to do the same in their job of affiliating. The “place to stand” stated in this phrase can be attributed to the “Internet” and the “levers” to the hoists for the affiliate marketers. This tradition was the same last year, 2010, and it is still the same this year as well, 2011. To make these tips happen, we can make use of some tips to get the ultimate results on this field:

1. Social Media gets tied to Search engines: At the end of last year, 2010, it was confirmed by the two search engine companies, Google and Bing, that social networking web sites such as Twitter and Facebook are having a great and unbelievable influence on the search results and optimizations. That is, social media are replacing the search engines in some aspects and this is impossible for some, however it is still within the “possibility”. Any other way to leverage this possibly?

2. Opportunities related to local marketing areas: It is getting more and more important for the local residents of small towns and villages, so that they want to reach whatever they want, such as services, deals, local products, coupons and in a short span of time. Can you see this potential?

3. Fast growth of mobile devices: It is expected and told by the technology experts that in five years’ time, mobile devices such as smartphones, tablet computers will shoot ahead of classic PC’s or desktop computers. On the other hand, mobile Internet accessibility will increase and double the size of desktop internet speed. Will you still hesitate whether to create a mobile version of your web site, or not?

4. Pay for each call: It does not matter whether you’re reading this as a trader or affiliate marketer, do not ever think of chucking yourself away losing the change of getting one of the very significant tips. Along with the other payment ways, pay-per-call is very useful at times for traders and affiliate marketers at all.

5. Other ways and chances of networking: Since 2010, forums and conferences related to networking affiliates have gone up and now it is very different from the old times, allowing marketers register at more informative areas. These kinds of information-sharing ways are of high importance and should never be neglected.

How to Deal With Obesity

2011-10-05T15:10:00.004+03:00

Living in a world of varying kinds of foods, drinks, and environments, one can have some problems of daily eating habit while trying to balance the amount of the stuff he get a day.

Eating disorderly is resulting in a health deficit called “obesity”. Once you are stricken by the negative results of obesity, you try to overcome this health problem by doing something unusual such as exercising excessively, planning deeper diets, and spending money on weight loss communities, which are not really good for your health. All of these stated below leads to a few undesired results such as wasting your money on unrelated stuff and losing the state of being in peace. It is not enough to follow a fitness program only, also you had better do some exercise and keep your healthy daily habit of eating at its normal level. So, to be careful about your daily habit of eating, pay attention to the tips written above.

Eating Habits

We can cavalierly say that the main reason for why we are becoming obese is the junk foods, which we have continually, such as burgers, pizzas, chips, cokes, involving much more fat than any other kind of food. Instead of doing so, you had better get some other foods like fruits and vegetables, which help your body keep committed and healthy. In doing so, it is important that you pay attention to decrease your desire to have junk foods, getting rid of them finally. Inside the vegetables and fruits, one can get the necessary thing, called “fibre”, so you will not have any problem of being obese in the future of your life. To say more about fibre, it absorbs the unnecessary fat from the different parts of your body, leading to prompt level of weight. As we have written on this web site so many times, another this you must keep in mind that you have a regular food time table, which helps you follow the latest times you had your meal and never skip any time of meal a day. Moreover, you may give it a try by eating in small quantities frequently instead of eating too much sometimes.

Habits of Drinking

Some claim that it is true the more you drink the healthier you become. However, this is some kind of myth at all. The fact is that you drink enough water during the day and whenever you need. Do not even try to drink water more than you really need. What’s more, you should avoid drinking other sorts of drinks in place of water to dispel your being thirsty. Do not ever change water for alcoholic, fizzy and hot drinks. Thinking these kinds of drinks altogether with junk foods, you cannot believe your eyes how harmful they become.

Bad Eating Habits in front of TV and PC

It sound really great when you hear that you will have a chance to watch a movie in front of your TV set of PC with a varying amount of foods and drinks such as burgers, popcorns, alcoholic drinks etc. ıt has been confirmed by many researches that you eat much more while you are in front of your TV or PC and that eventually makes inroads to the case of being obese. Try to avoid eating while watching movies or playing games, if you cannot do so, at least get rid of junks foods and eat some fruits instead.

Workout Habits

Want to lose weight? Never ever give up exercising. Many people with low level of insistence and desire generally turns down the chance of losing weight by exercising enough. This may possibly be the result of heavy workload a day, but nothing is more important than your health! You may start exercising at some initial stages of walking, jogging or running, and increase the amount of time you give to the exercise. In this way, you will see your progress truly and that will absolutely make you feel happy!

Working Times and Weight Loss

Today, we are living and experiencing a life of differences and deadlines. While travelling to somewhere to another, we are getting on the busses for a long time and that usually makes us feel bored and stressed in return. As most research results show that the more stressed one becomes, the more foods he tends to eat at all meaning that we had better keep our mind relaxed all the time and never think of going into any kind of stress. As can be witnessed around ourselves, there are a lot of people who gets alcoholic drinks or smoke whenever they feel stressed and unmotivated thusly getting unhealthy fats into their bodies. Should you want to leave more time to yourself, you should give importance to your family members, listen to the music, and try meditation, playing games such as football, basketball, and volleyball, going for a jogging or many other things good for your overall health.

All in all, whatever you do, it affects only your body positively or negatively. So, it is your job to take care of your mind, which administrates the different parts of your body. However stronger your ideas becomes, much easier it is to get rid of obesity and bad luck. In life, you must have a goal to reach thereby having some things to be busy with. Once you have a number of aims, you become much decisive about your moves and that ultimately leads you to see the really-desired results. You may also get your chance by taking place in a boot camp which you actually think it will be useful for your health.

Be Attentive While Shopping Online

2011-10-05T15:06:00.005+03:00

Sometimes, it is quite wiser to shop online instead of visiting stores and buy something. In doing so, it is necessary and important that you know some tips while you’re making use of this valuable shopping system.

To make this clear, we can say it is becoming very useful at times when you have some stuff brought to your own, and this is a popular way of shopping among some communities. You have the chance of comparing the prices before you actually tend to buy something you have wanted to obtain for a while, resulting in much cheaper and wiser shopping. Nevertheless, you have to keep in mind that you may face some problems as well. To make the difference between advantages and disadvantages, you are strongly advised to keep reading this article.

Taking the features that shopping online provides us with into consideration; we can see some old-style ways of delivery by means of slowly-working cargo carrying companies or so. If you are not really rushing to get your stuff, it may be good for you; however, in case of emergency, you may have some troubles in delivery settings. Yet, it must be borne in mind that shopping online does not give you the sense of walking into a shop and feeling the stuff that you possibly think of buying and if you do want to see and analyze it, you had better not prefer to shop online.

To give an example at the side of disadvantages, you may lead to some false choices such as buying wrong size of clothes and shoes. In this aspect, it would be wiser to prefer to go to outlet shops rather than choosing to buy a number of stuff sold online. That is, you have the chance of trying clothes on and making some comparisons between the ones that you really like and give your last decision in the shopping areas, where there are too many stores. On the other hand, you will see few pictures of the clothes that you tend to buy online and this limits the level of your decisiveness. Moreover, the colors shown on the pictures may be wrong and you may actually face some unwanted results in return. Being in-between size, it is important that you should make a visit to clothes shop and get the best suitable one at all.

As a last statement, the more you shop online, the more experienced you become. That is, learning the small tips on this occasion will surely do good your overall profit from the goods, helping you buy the best goods on the markets. To summarize, research the markets before you actually decide on buying something and make some comparisons between online web sites and real shops. This will eventually result in some extra profits and less spending on necessary stuff. Be wise, do research, get the best results while shopping online!Taking a look from the other side of subject, we can say that there some advantages as well. Having goods in a very cheaper and faster way is one of them. However, it is up to your attention that you do not buy the wrong goods and not have any problem related to purchase, such as wrong size, color, type, and style. Electrical goods are heading this type of shopping, allowing purchaser to make a choice among various kinds of products and give them the best and reasonable prices together. You know what? Some websites related to online shopping are of the opinion that they are drawing a large quantity of attention and that means they sometimes do not require their customers to pay for the delivery if not asked in a short span of time. So, it is wise to wait for a few days and get your product in the very suitable and reasonable way.Shopping virtually online has also other drawbacks such as not being able to return it in case of not fitting clothes into your body, so you had better read the term and conditions that are stated at the lower part of web sites to make sure that you can return wrong-sized clothes and other stuff. Depending upon the different conditions, it is you who pay the returnee fee, causing you much more money that you may spend on real shops.

Reflection 5: Is An E-Reader Real Necessity For School?

2011-10-05T15:02:00.009+03:00

Once the time’s around September or so, many people are rushing to shops to get the latest educational and school-related stuff. This usually includes textbooks, school uniforms, pens or pencils and other necessary things at school.

However, iPods, e-readers, and netbooks have been added to this list and now at the highest level of their fame. What’s more, these technological items are becoming a must instead of being good or useful to have. You may be thinking of not wasting your money on such unusually-expensive things for a school pupil, yet it is good to keep reading this article and learn why you should buy one e-reader to get the best advantage of your child’s successes.

Get Social on your e-reader: The more social media is becoming popular among different societies, the more applications related to social networking web sites are being launched by the technology manufacturers, as we could see this as Reading Life on Kobo and NOOK Friends on Barnes & Noble. You may be wondering what’s the main point in such thing, let us say, these specifications are useful for sharing your thoughts on your digital books and e-readings, making some suggestions for friends, and play a part in related chatting. As it is becoming increasingly hard to huddle people together, this way of communication is a lot much easier.

Do not waste your money on paper books: If you randomly choose a series of paper books that your children will need to have at school and calculate the total price of them, you may add up to about $70 or so. However, if you try to buy e-reader-compatible books, that is to say Kindle or NOOK versions, on digital screens, it adds up to about $25, which is quite cheaper than paper books. These calculations are close numbers so you cannot always rely on them yet you can make other calculations suitable for your likes and make a comparison between paper books and digital books.

Prosperousness: As digital books are quite useful at hand, people with these books are thought to be reading much more pages than paper book readers. This case has been confirmed by many of the lately-conducted surveys on the public. The number one reason for this situation is that they have their books at their hands making it become very easy to access. Let’s stop for a while imagine that you children is on his way to school on school bus, or having his breakfast: He takes out his e-reader and starts reading his digital book, maybe about 2-3 pages, while other children only do what they are busy with. With these e-readers, they also do not have any problem of forgetting to take necessary textbooks to school. As you know, the more your children read, the more sophisticated he becomes, leading to more knowing community in general.

Light weight: Putting only a few books in your backpack can be really hard during the day and as you go closer to the end of the day, they become even heavier making your back hurt in the long run. You cannot tolerate this situation even when you carry a laptop in your bag while on your way to school. It is quite ideal to carry an e-reader in your backpack or handbag if you do not want to hurt your back and body bones. By this, you will not only get rid of extraordinary heavy backpacks but also cinder blocks that take up too much space in your personal room.

Free E-Mail Access on Kindle: If you happen to buy an Amazon Kindle 3G e-readers, which include free access to worldwide 3G access, you may have a chance of sending free e-mails via your technologically-advanced e-reader device. These devices may limit your budget however it is quite important to have a free access to e-mail application in some odd cases.

Dodge from the bookstore lineups: As you can get what we mean from the title, you will never have to wait for the long queues because you will obtain whichever book you want just in a few minutes’ of time by means of Wi-Fi connectivity option. You may laugh out loud while your friends are waiting for a textbook for more than 1 hour of time queue.

Prolonged Battery Life: As today’s children are more forgetful than ever, recharging their e-reader may have gone out their minds at times, resulting in some undesired cases at school. To solve this problem, technology manufacturers are launching e-reader devices with prolonged battery life helping users make use of much more time than usual. To give a definite time of battery life, we can say some e-readers, such as NOOK Simple Touch, have the ability of going for more than 2 months’ of time without needing recharging. That is, you will not have to stay inside as in you must put your laptop or tablet PC plugged into electricity, while you do not have to do something like that and this let users read more prolonged times of reading in one sitting.

To sum up, it is quite useful for you and your children if you tend to buy an advanced device of e-reader at school, promoting your children with good success in the future educational process. However, do not ever allow your children to use his e-reader device for more than 2 hours around because this may lead to some unwanted eye problems as latest technological devices are of potentially eye-deteriorating state.

Do You Know Why You Are Not Losing Weight?

2011-08-16T20:43:00.004+03:00

We can easily say on this subject that the main point that helps you lose weight is just because of some minor reasons.

However, there are even some other key reasons that may cause you not to lose any weight at all. You can determine these key reasons by keeping reading here:

1- Avoid eating too many calories - This is almost the main reason why we are gaining unwanted weights in a limited span of time. On the other hand, we people are known to be underrating the amount of calories that we get into our stomachs a day. This also has been researched and verified by a medical research institute that people having too many fast food meal a day are ruling out the fact that they are getting to much undesired calories that cause weight in return.

However, we are usually advised not to eat too many calories but getting enough or even more calories a day can be really easy. That is, if you have one slice of bread, one donut, one soda and some other additions such as extra tablespoon salad or so, you might sometime exceed the limit of adequate amount of calories you need a day. These foods counted above may seem to be quite innocent in your plate situated on your table but when you eat all of these in a time of meal, they can be quite dangerous for your general state of health, even leading your body become quite fat.

These foods line above are the visible foods that contain too many calories, however there are also invisible ones that contain potentially high-risk calories. What’s more, we happen to have these foods containing secret calories each day at home or work quite mindlessly. A trace of M&M, which you might have during a meeting unintentionally, and other foods or bread that you have to clean up your children’s plate might eventually lead to gain of unwanted weights. These all add up to your overall weight, and sometimes result in the occasion of not burning all of the calories you get a day. The more calories are left over in your body, the more possibly you become fat.

2- If you are not someone of a mind of exercising, it is highly possible that you gain some unwanted weights and calories without even realizing. In case of underestimating the real value of calories that we take into our bodies, we might face some bad results that we have not even dreamed of. As you know, the more one get exercise, the fitter body they have, burning the unwanted calories absorbed into our bodies. Why we underrate the real results of too many calories may be due to the fact that we really do not know how many calories we need to get a day. Furthermore, most of us in fact rely on some mechanic machines that are claimed to be healthy for our bodies. However they are not that useful under some circumstances, and may lead you to the wrong calculation of calories while exercising. A normal person with a good overall health condition needs to get 60-90 minutes of exercise a day. Seeing the fact that you do not get enough exercise a day, we can say you are too far away from losing the undesirable fats which are the results of not burning enough calories. To get the desired ones, you are keenly recommended to get enough exercise and do your best under every condition!

3- Insubstantial hopes – Keeping in touch with those who have been quite successful at losing weight so far may stimulate your motivation to be just like the same as they are. However, you may become a bit unmotivated when you have heard that it took almost a number of years for them to become as thin-looking as models. One thing you have to keep in mind that you are not finished with this job after you have got rid of undesired weights; quite the contrary, you are just beginning it and need to keep the control of your fats in hand. And now, get up and take a piece of paper to note your timeline down on it. Try to organize it focused on losing weight healthily and plan how long you are going to keep up with it. If you are in the opinion of organizing a short-term plan, you may wait until your body gives the desired response to your program. You had better think this period of time as an adjustment to a new healthy life without even having any problems with your weights.

4- Leaving the success in the lurch – That’s also another common problem of many people. That is to say, you may be getting the results but not in the way you have really liked since times. It may give you the sense of not even losing weight when you lose only a bit, but that does not necessarily mean that you are failing with your program, instead you can take this as a sign of success at the beginning of your way to the end. You may be gaining more and more muscle that also does not include a sign of failure. In short, the more decisively you behave the better results you will obtain.

The parts of your body in which you are succeeding in losing weight may be another turning point in your dieting program. As most of you know, there some special parts of your body where too much fat is stored excessively (for example, the hips, butt, belly, and thighs). Just after you realize that you haven’t got any changes in those areas situated above, you might happen to start thinking of not even losing any weight. But always remember that you cannot balance the exercise you get a day according to different parts of your body. That is, some parts may lose too much weight while others may lose very few. Your overall condition of your body, your gender, hormones, and age may also be affecting your fat when and how to lose. However, keep it in mind that your body parts where you have too much fat may not be really easy to get rid of. So, after enough trial, you had better give up so as not to affect your psychological condition.

As stated many times below, if you are someone of decisive mind, you will probably go to the final step and start losing weight under all circumstances. If some parts of your body start getting even thinner by and by, make sure that they get to those areas that you have always dreamed of seeing thinly.

As a result, once you start keep up with your dieting program decisively, you will never regret that you have already done with this job. Be careful about your dieting track so as not to lose your passion about it. Other daily activities and exercises are the main reasons why you are about to lose weight so do not even think of giving up them. As you process more and more, and get the desired results, you will realize that you have done everything possible to cope with these weights and come to the final step: Enjoy the rest of life in happiness, without unwanted weights!

How to Buy a High-Performance Tablet

2011-08-15T21:14:00.003+03:00

In today’s worlds, one needs to use at least one of the latest technological devices to keep up with the recent updates happening in their lives. Tablets are amongst these much-loved technological devices and it may sometimes be hard to choose the best one suitable for your likes.

In order not to regret later hands, you are strongly recommended to take these advices into consideration.

Features That Matter

As the technology advances, the demands that most people require are going further as well. We can call speed, memory capacity, display quality, and recharge time of a tablet early in the list. If you are in favour of spending your money that you have earned by means of hard work in a suitable tablet computer, you must keep it in mind that you will have this tablet in the following at least 2-3 years. That is, you will be with your tablet for some time in the future and it must meet your requirements. For, screen size, battery life, storage space, processing speed, operating system, graphic quality and many other specs are among the features that need to be paid attention.

Operating Software

Hardware features may have importance for some people; however operating software is even more important than any other specs as it is the main device of any tablet that will help perform other parts well enough to satisfy your needs. While making up your mind before buying a new table computer, just pay regard to its specifications that you give importance most. You can start this job by deciding on which operating system your tablet will perform and also pay attention to that it performs on iOS, WebOS, or Android.

Features That Does Not Matter

There are very important specs that should be searched always whereas there are the ones that are not that important or of low importance. It is not worth regretting after purchase that you have selected wrong size, weight, thinness, color, or any other unusual features of tablet computers. They may state an important step but not big enough to affect your final decisions on your tablets. So, do not allow small problems to turn into big ones if you’re satisfied enough before you have purchase tablet.

Having Internet Connectivity

As today’s people take the many advantages of internet, a very big information pool, you had better pay attention that your tablet computer has the ability of connecting to the internet at anytime and anywhere. You are surely making use of internet so as to be able to browse the web, download applications, movies, music, and other works. Having Wi-Fi connection, Bluetooth option, 3G or 4G accesses are the main titles that you should always search for in a new tablet if you do not want to drop behind people with the latest tablet computers.

Accessorize Your Tablet

Purchasing a new tablet does not always mean that you have everything in your device that may need some time in the future. On the contrary, there may be some key lacks of important accessories such as screen protectors, docks, styluses, covers and cases. These accessories are sometimes of high importance to enhance your tablet computer’s overall experience. They are also able to serve as a protector against unwanted applications or viruses and can extend the lifetime of your tablet. These accessories stated below may sound very easy to your ears at times but you will get the main point that we point here as the time passes by. Believe it or not, a screen protector or cover might protect your tablet from becoming damaged in case of emergency. Keep it in mind that the better you protect your tablet, the more satisfying results it will provide.

Erdoğan says nation winner of polls, vows to seek consensus on constitution

2011-06-13T10:42:00.000+03:00

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed to embrace the entire nation after a sweeping victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections and said his Justice and Development Party (AK Party) will seek a broad-based consensus of opposition parties and civil society groups while drafting a new constitution.

The AK Party won a third consecutive term by securing a record-high vote of 50 percent in Sunday's polls. The biggest opposition party, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's Republican People's Party (CHP), won 25.9 percent. “The winner of the June 12 elections is our people, whether they voted for the AK Party or not,” Erdoğan told an enthusiastic crowd of supporters celebrating the election win outside the AK Party headquarters in Ankara. “Today, Turkey won. Today, democracy and the national will won,” he said from the balcony of the AK Party headquarters, taking pride in the fact that the AK Party increased its votes by 5 million since the last elections, held in 2007, and now has the support of half the population. Although it has seen a surge in the number of votes, the AK Party witnessed a decline in the number of seats it will have in the new Parliament. The AK Party is now expected to get 326 seats in Parliament, below the minimum number of 330 required to send any constitutional change to a referendum for approval. “Our nation assigned us to draft the new constitution. They gave us a message to build the new constitution through consensus and negotiation," he said. “We will discuss the new constitution with opposition parties, civil society groups and academics. We will seek the broadest consensus.” Last year, Erdoğan's government successfully pushed for changes to the current Constitution, drafted following a military coup in 1980. The AK Party has promised to draft a new constitution after the elections. “We will draft a civilian, pro-freedoms, participatory constitution together,” Erdoğan said. “It will be the constitution of Turks, Kurds … the Roma … minorities.” Erdoğan also attempted to ease concerns that increased support for the AK Party could worsen what critics said were “autocratic tendencies” on the part of the ruling party. The prime minister gave conciliatory messages, promising that the new government will respect and protect different ways of life and belief. “No one should have any doubt. Our people will live in peace and justice,” he said. “Today, our responsibility has increased further. We will be more sensitive in proportion to our increased responsibility,” Erdoğan said. “We will continue to be a servant, not a master, of the people.” The prime minister said the election results will strengthen Turkey's democracy and ambitiously declared that Turkey has reached “the level of contemporary civilizations,” a target set by Turkey's founder, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. “Turkey has turned to a clean, brand new page,” he said. “The Turkey whose direction was drawn by gangs is now a matter of the past,” Erdoğan added, in reference to clandestine networks of military and civilian bureaucrats as well as civil society groups and criminal elements that allegedly sought to overthrow the government.

AK Party wins by landslide, fails to secure majority for new constitution

2011-06-13T10:36:00.002+03:00

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The Justice and Development Party (AK Party) won Sunday's general elections in a sweeping victory as expected, but according to initial calculations the number of deputy seats it has won in Parliament will not be enough for it to adopt a new constitution.

The AK Party won 49.9 percent of the vote, up 4 percent from the last elections, but this translates into 326 seats in Parliament, meaning it will be more than 40 seats short of the two-thirds majority needed to amend the country's constitution unilaterally and about four seats short of the 330 seats needed to refer a Constitutional reform to a public vote. According to results from 99.8 percent of the total vote, the AK Party won 49.9 percent of the vote, up by 4 percent from the previous elections, followed by the Republican People's Party (CHP) with 25.9 percent, up by 5 percent from the previous election, and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) with 13 percent of the vote. According to this vote distribution, the AK Party won 326 seats, the CHP won 135 seats and the MHP, which was expected by some pollsters to drop out of Parliament, falling below Turkey's 10 percent vote threshold, had 53 seats. The Peace and Democracy Party (BDP), a Kurdish party accused by officials of links to the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), fielded independent candidates in order to work around requirements for the 10 percent vote threshold. The independents in total won about 6.6 percent of the vote, as expected. Most of them are BDP endorsed independents who will join the BDP and form a parliamentary group, the quorum for which is 20 deputies. The BDP independents won 36 seats in total. The drafting of a new Constitution was one of the most important themes in this election, with every political party promising a new and more democratic constitution to replace Turkey's current one, which was drafted and adopted shortly after the devastating 1980 coup d'état. Fifteen parties and 200 independent candidates contested 550 seats for four-year terms in Parliament in Sunday's election. Voter turnout was around 87 percent. Surveys in past weeks have correctly indicated that the AK Party of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan was headed for another win. About 50 million Turks, or two-thirds of the population, were eligible to vote. The last polls closed at 5 p.m. in western Turkey. Reporting results online started at around 6:30 p.m. Some television stations started about 10 minutes earlier. For the first time, voters cast ballots in transparent plastic boxes in which the yellow envelopes could be seen piling up. The measure was designed to prevent any allegations of fraud. In past elections, wooden boxes were used. “We have spoken, and now it is time for the people to speak,” Erdoğan said in İstanbul as he cast his vote. “For us, this will be the most honorable decision and one that we will have to respect. As far as I know, the election process is continuing through the country without any problems.” A group of supporters greeted his arrival at a polling station by shouting, “Turkey is proud of you.” Erdoğan has promised that the new constitution would include “basic rights and freedoms,” replacing the 1982 Constitution implemented under the tutelage of the military after the Sept. 12, 1980 coup d’état. However, he has provided relatively few details on a possible new draft. AK Party politicians describe themselves as moderates and “conservative democrats” who are committed to the ideals of Western-style democracy. After winning the elections in 2002, they implemented economic reforms that pulled the country out of crisis. The growth rate last year was nearly 9 percent, the second highest among G-20 nations after China. Still, political reforms faltered in the ruling party’s second term. Turkey’s bid to join the European Union has stalled, partly because of opposition in key EU nations such as Germany and France. Critics point to concerns about press freedom and the Turkish government’s plans for Internet filters as signs of intolerance toward views that don’t conform to those of Turkey’s leadership. Four people were detained Sunday in the southeastern province of Şanlıurfa for allegedly voting more than once with other people’s ballot papers. In the capital of Ankara, police fired in the air and used pepper spray to break up scuffles at a polling station where a group of voters wrongly accused another group of having fake ballot papers, the Anatolia news agency said. But for all of Turkey’s challenges, Sunday’s vote was an indicator of stability in a country that suffered fractious coalition politics and military coups in past decades. Most voting was peaceful and orderly, with large crowds gathering early to cast ballots. “We have come to the end of a long marathon,” Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, head of the opposition CHP, said after arriving at a polling station with his wife and son. “Today is the time for a decision by the people. We will respect their decision.” Despite its successes, the AK Party government faces opposition accusations that it seeks to consolidate power at the expense of consensus-building. Much of the debate among commentators in the run-up to the elections was centered on whether the ruling party can secure a two-thirds majority in Parliament that would enable it to push through a new constitution without the support of other political groups. This didn’t happen, and Parliament is likely to see heated debate on the content of the new constitution Turkey will be drafting after the elections.

Erdoğan set for comfortable win as Turks vote

2011-06-12T11:42:00.001+03:00

Turks vote in an election on Sunday that is expected to see Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan win a third consecutive term in office and could give him a mandate to rewrite the constitution.

A Muslim democracy and aspirant to join the European Union, Turkey has become an economic powerhouse and an influential player on the global stage since Erdoğan's ruling Justice and Development (AK Party) first swept to power in 2002. Polling stations in the country of 74 million people were due to open at 7.00 a.m. local time on Sunday in the east, and an hour later in the west, including the capital Ankara and İstanbul. Opinion polls have shown Erdoğan set to win four more years of single party rule in the nation that straddles Europe, the Middle East and Asia. His support has been built on his success in creating a booming economy and in ending decades of chaotic coalitions, military coups and failed international financial bailouts. The only doubt hanging over Sunday's vote was about the margin of victory. Erdoğan needs more than a simple majority to be certain of pushing through plans for a new constitution to replace one written in 1982, two years after a military coup. Erdoğan, whose party evolved from banned Islamist movements, says the new charter will be based on democratic and pluralistic principles that will bring Turkey closer to EU standards. While foreign investors have traditionally seen AK Party as the most market-friendly party, Erdoğan's critics say he has an authoritarian streak. They fear he will use his growing power to switch to a more presidential system of government, with an eye on becoming president himself in the years ahead. Opponents also point to rampant use of wiretaps by state agencies, the detention of journalists critical of the government, nepotism and a widening gap between rich and poor. Constitution AK Party, a socially conservative party, held 331 of the 550 seats in the last parliament, and polls show it scoring around the same or better. At least 330 seats would give AK Party the power to call a referendum on rewriting the constitution. If it gets more than a two-thirds majority, it will be able to change the constitution without resorting to a plebiscite. "These elections are not about who wins, but about whether AK Party will win a strong majority to rewrite the constitution," Sinan Ülgen, from the İstanbul-based Centre for Economics and Foreign Policy Studies, told Reuters. The opposition has been in disarray since AK Party routed old establishment parties tainted by corruption and financial mismanagement in 2002. The Republican People's Party (CHP), the party of Turkey's once-dominant secularist, Westernised elites, has been revitalised under new leader Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu. Opinion polls put support for the CHP at between 25 and 30 percent. Kılıçdaroğlu has dropped the CHP's old scaremongering tactics of accusing AK Party of wanting to turn Turkey into an Iran-style Islamic state and has focused his campaign on human rights and inequality, while warning of Erdoğan's growing power. The performance of independents fielded by the pro-Kurdish Peace and Democracy Party (BDP) and far-right Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) could prove key to AK Party's margin of victory. The outcome of Sunday's vote will have repercussions outside Turkey, a NATO member and US ally that has forged stronger ties with fellow Muslim neighbors. Analysts have warned the new government will face sobering economic challenges. The current account deficit is ballooning, fiscal policy needs tightening to cool overheating and youth unemployment is high in a country where the average age is 28.

Madrid bolsters next season's squad with Turkey's Altıntop

2011-05-20T08:55:00.001+03:00

Real Madrid acquired Turkey midfielder Hamit Altıntop from Bayern Munich on Thursday, further bolstering its squad for next season.

Madrid says Altıntop agreed to a four-year deal after being out of contract with the German club. The 28-year-old Altıntop is the second Turkey international that Madrid has brought in from the Bundesliga following midfielder Nuri Şahin from German champion Borussia Dortmund. The 28-year old Turkish midfielder won the 2010 FIFA Puskas Award Realmadrid.com Hamit Altintop joins Real Madrid by way of Schalke 04 and most recently Bayern Munich. He won one German League Cup (DFL-Ligapokal) with the first and two Bundesliga titles, two German Cups (DFP-Pokal) and two German Super Cups (Premiere Ligapokal / DFL-Ligapokal) with the Bavarian powerhouse. In 2010 the now 28-year old earned the FIFA Puskas Award for his volley against Kazakhstan in a Euro 2012 qualifier. Other individual accolades include being named to the UEFA Euro 2008 Team of the Tournament. Altintop was born on 8 December 1982 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, but as a Turkish citizen has been capped 64 caps times and scored six goals for Turkey. He is a versatile midfielder who can play on either end of the pitch as well as on either flank. Altintop spent his early days Schwarz-Weis Gelgenkirchen, Tus Rotthausen and Wattenscheid 09 before spending four seasons at Shalke 04 and later signing for Bayern Munich is 2007. In 2005/06 he scored his only Champions League goal while on duty with Schalke, and four seasons later with Bayern he was named Man-of-the-Match in the first leg of the quarterfinal tie against Manchester United. The first time Altintop set foot on the Bernabeu turf was for the 2009/10 Champions League final against Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan. He has played in 14 matches and scored two goals for Bayern this season.

Azerbaijan wins Eurovision, a solace for disappointed Turkey

2011-05-16T10:38:00.003+03:00

Azerbaijan won the annual Eurovision Song Contest with the romantic ballad "Running Scared" on Saturday, watched by a television audience of more than 100 million people.

The song about a love-struck couple was performed by 21-year-old student Eldar Gasimov and Nigar Jamal, 30, a mother of two who lives in London. The duo, known as Ell-Nikki, won a total of 221 points.
Azerbaijan's win was a solace to Turkey, whose rock band Yüksek Sadakat, which competed with “Live It Up,” a three-minute-long, up-tempo rock song reminiscent of the classic rock tunes of the early 1980s, unexpectedly failed to make it to the final round, causing huge disappointment. Turkish media voiced support for Azerbaijan after Yüksek Sadakat's early elimination from the contest.
On Saturday night, Jamal delighted Turks when she was seen celebrating the win by waving a Turkish flag on the stage.
Italy was second in the competition with 189 points, and Sweden came in third with 185 in the 56th edition of the contest, hosted by Germany. Widely heralded pre-contest favorites Ireland, Britain and France all had disappointing results.
The extravaganza, dubbed the world's biggest music competition with one of television's largest audiences, was beamed to countries from the Atlantic Ocean to the Caspian Sea -- and to nations around the world that were not even competing.
"Oh my gosh, we won, we won," said Gasimov, whose face was drenched with sweat as he celebrated on stage in front of 36,000 spectators in a soccer arena in the German city of Düsseldorf that had been converted for the event.
"I'm the happiest man in the world right now," he said.
The Azeri entry had Swedish touches. It was composed by Swedes Stefan Orn, Sandra Bjurman and Iain Farquharson, and four Swedish dancers accompanied Ell-Nikki.
Jamal, who has a degree in economics, said it was hard to grasp the fairytale victory for Azerbaijan, a former Soviet republic of 8 million that regained independence in 1991.
"A few months ago I was a housewife and mother of two children -- and my biggest dream was to represent my country in the Eurovision Song Contest," she told a news conference. "My dream came true: I'm a winner of Eurovision."

Glitz and kitsch

The Eurovision Song Contest has been a launching pad for international careers. Swedish pop group Abba became famous after winning in 1974 with "Waterloo," and Celine Dion took top honors in 1988 while competing for Switzerland.
Many deride the contest for serving up mediocrity, while others are enthusiastic followers.
From its start in Switzerland in 1956, the contest conceived by the European Broadcasting Union has grown into a giant event where performers, often dressed in spangly costumes, belt out their songs in different languages.
Fans draped in national flags and clad in exotic outfits packed the arena, cheering the 25 finalists who mixed glitz and kitsch with ballads, rock 'n' roll and disco to try to win votes from viewers and 43 national juries.
It was also a disappointing night for Germany after Lena won last year in Oslo.
Lena became an instant national hero for ending Germany's three-decade Eurovision drought. Her song "Satellite" went to the top of pop music charts in six countries and was a top 10 hit in seven others. She was a distant 10th on Saturday night.
French opera singer Amaury Vassili, British boy band Blue and Ireland's Jedward had also been tipped as favorites by bookmakers but finished poorly.
Other famous participants in past contests included Julio Iglesias, Olivia Newton-John, Secret Garden, t.A.T.u., Lordi and Patricia Kaas. Riverdance was created in 1994 when Ireland hosted the contest.

Really Useful English Grammar (Penguin Quick Guides)

2011-05-09T12:02:00.000+03:00

Do you want to improve your English grammar? This book guides you to the most important points and difficulties of English grammar, using: short, clear explanations; lots of practice and review pages and cartoons to help you understand - and make you laugh!

File size: 31MB
File type: pdf in zip

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The Ultimate Sport Lead-Up GameBook

2011-05-09T11:38:00.002+03:00

This is a great book if you are looking for sport lead-up games. Guy Bailey has put together an excellent collection of lead-up games that is one of the most comprehensive in print.

After the initial chapter which explains the role of sport lead-up games, you'll find chapters on games for football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, hockey, volleyball, badminton, tennis, track, softball, golf, and bowling. Each chapter includes at least a dozen or so games, with some chapters having over 20 games. Each game description includes the objective, equipment, set-up, and procedure to play. There's also an illustration for each game to help you visualize its setup. What's nice is that the games are ready to play with little or no adaptation.

File size: 31.7 Mb

File type: pdf

Click to download:

http://ifile.it/n4jdg82/Bailey%2C%20Guy%20-%20The%20Ultimate%20Sport%20Lead-Up%20Game%20Book.pdf

Osama bin Laden's death: reaction from New York

2011-05-02T10:33:00.000+03:00

Crowds flock to Ground Zero and Times Square in New York to celebrate the announcement of death of al-Qaida leader.

In New York's bars, where a TV in the corner is as much part of the furniture as a juke box, the news caused a city-wide outbreak of cheers and shouts.
As the news headlines announcing the death of terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden scrawled along the bottom of the screens customers enjoying a late Sunday drink indulged in an unexpected celebration.
"Everybody in the bar cheered when the news came on," said student Brian Chan, 23, who had been drinking at the V Bar in the East Village neighbourhood. "The music stopped and everyone started watching the TV."
For the local barman, Jack Barley, 32, it prompted thoughts of a close friend who had given up his job in finance after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 and ended up as a Green Beret in the US special forces but was posted to Iraq, not Afghanistan. "After 10 years it feels we have been waiting for this moment," Barley said. Certainly one of his customers had, who burst into tears at the news and then fled the bar.
The man's friends went on to explain that he had lost several people close to him in the terror attack. "I can't imagine what he felt. They said he had lost about 10 friends that day and had been waiting all these years for this moment," said Barley.
Elsewhere in the city crowds of people flocked to Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. Many of them carried flags and chanted "USA! USA!" and sang the American national anthem and God Bless America. Some carried candles and milled around the scene in silence, but others indulged in an impromptu party, effectively turning what is usually a very sombre place into one of celebration.
By 1am several hundred people had arrived in the neighbourhood, which is now a huge building site where the office complex that will replace the World Trade Centre is being built. Many of them were interviewed by the cable news TV crews who also descended on the site.
"I never thought this night would happen, that we would kill or capture bin Laden. I thank the Lord that he has been eliminated," said Bob Gibson, a retired New York city policeman who lost colleagues in the attack.
City officials welcomed the news and issued statements. "New Yorkers have waited nearly 10 years for this news. It is my hope that it will bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11 2001," said mayor Mike Bloomberg.
That certainly seemed to be the case for some relatives of the victims though representatives stressed their continued feeling of loss. "This is important news for us, and for the world. It cannot ease our pain, or bring back our loved ones," said Gordon Felt, president of Families of Flight 93, named for the hijacked plane that crashed in Pennsylvania.
"It does bring a measure of comfort that the mastermind of the September 11th tragedy and the face of global terror can no longer spread his evil," added Felt, whose brother died on the crashed plane.
Many ordinary New Yorkers said that the moment had a historic feeling.
But they also struck a note of scepticism that the killing of bin Laden would alter things. "I imagine al-Qaida will use it to recruit people and I imagine we will say that it's a great victory and then in the end it will all stay the same," said Barley. Others felt the news would at least provide a much needed boost. Musician Dave Archer said that the news would provide a vital fillip to a nation still struggling in the face of economic hard times. "It is good news. It is something that people really need to hear at the moment. When it came on the TV I was psyched. It made me feel good," he said. Archer had been across the Hudson in New Jersey when the terror attacks had happened. "I could smell it. That smell lasted for a long time," he said.
Crowds of people also flocked to Manhattan's iconic Times Square where news of the death of bin Laden was carried on some of the giant neon screens that line nearby buildings. They too waved US flags, sang, cheered and took photographs of the scene in an area that only a few days ago had hosted a watching party for the British royal wedding and was now holding a celebration for the death of a terrorist chief.