cafemor

Daniel Pink: The puzzle of motivation

2013-05-13T05:21:00.002-07:00

Dan Pink, günümüzün kalifiye çalışanını motive etmek için 3 kaynak sunuyor:

1. Otonomi: Kendi yönünü kendinin belirlemesi. Otonomi özgürlük ve kendi kendinin patronu olma duygusunu güçlendiriyor. Kişi, bu sayede, işine daha da sahip çıkıyor. Örneğin, bir Avustralya menşeili yazılım firması çalışanlarına bir Perşembe günü 24 saat süresince istedikleri işlerle uğraşma özgürlüğü vermiş. Bu süre içinde, çok sayıda yazılıma düzeltme yapılmış, birçok yeni ürün fikri ortaya çıkmış. İnsanlar kendilerine verilen zamanı yeteneklerini en iyi şekilde performansa dönüştürerek geçirmeyi seçmişler.

2. Uzmanlaşma: Bir konuda daha iyi olmak, daha çok şey bilmek hepimizin hoşuna gider. Düşünsenize neden müzik enstrümanı çalarız? Neden yabancı dil öğrenmek isteriz? Sevdiğimiz konularda uzmanlaşmak bizi tatmin eder. Ne zamanki ailemiz toplandığında gitar çalarız veya bir turist yol sorduğunda kendimizden emin bir şekilde gideceği yeri tarif ederiz, işte o zaman kendimizi amacımıza ulaşmış, onca çalışmanın sonucunu verdiğini hissederiz.

3. Amaç: Hepimizin hayatta belli amaçları var. Bu amaçlar, çoğu zaman para kazanmak, zengin olmanın ötesinde manevi temellere dayanıyor. Örneğin, yeni şeyler öğrenmek, kendi bilgilerimizi başkalarına aktarmak istiyoruz. Neden pırıl pırıl beyinler işten döndükten sonra saatlerce açık kaynak projelerde gönüllü olarak çalışıyor? Kendilerini hiç tanımadıkları birçok insana katkıda bulunuyor hissediyorlar. Kişisel amaçlarının ötesinde daha büyük bir amaca hizmet ettiklerine inanıyorlar. Yetenek, bilgi ve deneyimlerini paylaşıma açıyorlar hem de hiçbir maddi karşılığı olmadan.

Dan Pink'in motivasyon kaynakları aslında modern insanın oldukça komplike varlıklar olduğunu birkez daha gösteriyor. Peki, sizi ne motive ediyor?

Detaylı Bilgi: http://www.dunya.com/teoriden-pratige-motivasyon-116801h.htm

Penelope's Loom

2013-04-29T17:18:00.001-07:00

The fact is that human relationships are necessarily conflictual, since all relationships have complex, simultaneous meaning in terms of self-definition and connection to others, self-regulation and field regulation. Each child likely develops a deep tie to both conscious and unconscious and these conflictual connections are strongly influenced by the family dynamics.

Psychopathology involves a normative human mind and functioning of the human body with psychoanalysis as a treatment. As we know, each person has specifically interpersonal dynamics and context and there is no a standardized measurement for deviations. And also we know that early relational matrix exist a self-organization for new experiences that are fixed. The analytic process is not a treatment for psychopathology. But, conflictual attachements and identifications with archaic objects are universal. So, it is the basic therapeutic action of analytic process. Each perspective creates its own kind of analytic relationship so it has complex combination of ways and there is more than one such universe.

Classical model of psychoanalytic technique was drive-conflict model which involves motivation, development and psychopathology provides its basic explanations. The analysis of unconcious within free association and defenses replaced hypnotism as the basic way fort he content of what is to be remembered. The analyst has a function to investigate and uncover against to resistances.

Winnicott describes patient-analyst relationship and many different kind of interactions as normal infant-mother relationship. He represents psychopathology as a developmental fixation. He strikes development of self not only impulses. Caregivers provide certain emotional reactions fort he self to grow and maintain a sense of integrity, continuity, vitality and coherence. Kohut strikes very similar to him, there is a subtle dialectic between narcissistic gratification and increasingly diasppointment. Namely, a patient structures the analytic situation according to natural advices about what he missed and now needs.

As we know, correct interpretation generates insight from instictual fixations. For Winnicott, correct interpretations make easier to return and actualization of early infantile states. So, the analyst need to have parent-child relationship for something old is re-created in the analytic relationship. The old one is given up to make possible new gratifications and so frustration provides the key for analytic change as well.

Finally, in analytic process, change is brought about neither by exploring and mirroring the patient’s subjective experience, nor the patient’s hopes and wishes according to analyst’s quality or relevance with patient’s clinical needs. The problem is that analyst delivers interpretations such as concepts of neutrality, or empathic stance.

Melancholia

2013-04-12T00:29:00.003-07:00

Both mourning and melancholia are responses to loss. Freud clarifies the differences between mourning and melancholia. Mourning is regularly the reaction to loss of a loved person, or the loss of some abstraction which had taken the place of one. Mourning is not associated with pathological issues because it is a normal reaction to events generally is overcome with time. During the mourning period the person realizes that the loved person or object that is lost and turns away from reality. This turning away from reality is marked by dejection, loss of interest, inability to love and inhibition of all activities. These same symptoms are present in melancholia, however, in mourning reality eventually wins out and slowly the person returns to their normal state.

Mourning is a conscious response to something, a specific death; whereas melancholia is often unconscious, resulting from a loss that cannot be physically perceived, like love. Melancholia is more puzzling because of this absence of a loss that can be observed. Also in melancholia exists the additional syptom of a lowering of self-regard. The person believes that they are inferior and despicable and also tell others about their inferiority. The fact that they feel comfortable enough to tell people how awful they are. Because most people who are ashamed or feel remorse for something do not feel comfortable in sharing that.

In melancholia, the libido withdraws into the ego and identifies itself with the lost object. This would make sense in ambivalent relationships where the love or hate relation to the object simultaneously for staying and leaving at the same time. This identification with the object can become dangerous when the melancholic desires the object for disappearing enough to harm him or herself.

In mourning, the libido's disassociatin with the object is so gradual that there is never a large about of cathetic energy being displaced. Whereas in melancholia when the ego finally has overpowered the object that it is identified with all of its cathetic energies that had been entangled are free and throws the individual into mania.

Melancholia is also characterized by self-effacement which Freud believes self-defense for the ego when it chooses an object to love. This particular object choice requires a strong fixation on the object. The object choice is narcissistic so that the loved object is lost and the ego can be regressed. In other words, melancholic self-effacement is really directed at the lost object.

While mourning is considered normal, melancholia is seen as patholohical. An impoverishment of ego in melancholia that is not found in mourning. Namely, while mourning exhibits clear signs of an individual losing an object, melancholic individuals express a loss of ego. Both mourning and melancholia can run their courses and pass after time. Mourning's reality-test eventually frees the libido. The process undoubtedly different in melancholia because of ambivalence. This ambivalince is missing in mourning because mourning takes place after the death of an object, whereas melancholia seems to occur in less clear loses.

Zombies in Bilgi University

2013-03-20T13:43:00.002-07:00

TRANSFERENCE-LOVE

2013-03-17T13:57:00.001-07:00

One of the most important concepts associated with the psychodynamic tradition is the idea of transference. It is very fundamental process that involves the idea of transferring something from one place to another. Our acts of transference provide an information rich into what we are desiring and what we wish to avoid. In my opinion, transference is something that all people do most all the time. It is an instance of a more fundamental and general process of perception. During transference, a nerve is strucked when someone says or does something that reminds your past. We can refer to transference as a projection. In this case you are projecting your own feelings, emotions and motivations into another person without realizing your action is really more about you than the other person.

According to Freud, there are two arguments and first is stronger. However, for me, the second is not weaker as Freud said. Resistance in transference love is unquestionable and considerable. It is creating by resistance. Second, the development of the erotic life of an individual is essential character of every state of being in love. A portion of libido that is conscious and is directed towards reality has passed through development. A portion of libido that is unconscious and is directed away from reality has been held up during development. Both portions of the libido form the erotic attitude of an individual. If it is unsatisfied, patient will meet new people with both conscious and unconscious libidinal anticipatory ideas. When patient enters analysis, he/she transfers these anticipatory ideas on the analyst. This is the transference. According to Freud, transference can also appears as a resistance. And he uses the resistance to explain why transference appears as resistance in analysis. At first, source derives from forces which are responsible for regression. The second, resistance derives from attraction of the unconscious.

Freud states that transference as resistance cannot be understood without distinguishing between a positive affectionate transference and a negative hostile one. A positive transference is more admissible to consciousness than a negative transference. Both positive and negative transferences can occur simultaneously in neurotics. Transference causes a resistance only when it is positive or negative transference of repressed erotic impulses. Both positive and negative transference can be removed by the analyst making them conscious. Actually, it means pushing into the background that feels safe enough to allow all preconditions for loving.

Technically, recognition of the transference can be achieved by the therapist engaging any of the psychological functions, thinking, feeling and sensation to perceive the distortion of reality generated by patient. Freud saw transference as an inconvenience and undesiraable. When an analyst faces with a female patient who falls in love with him, the analyst should neither accept nor reject this love, but adopts a course about there is no pattern in real life.

Transference reactions are caused by unmet emotional needs, neglect, seductions and other abuses that transpired when you were a child. In some forms, a therapist will intentionally create or allow transference to form. When it has done properly, this helps a therapist to understand and find a connection between the patient's past and how the patient misreads the present and may react ineffectively.

It is not always easy to notice that you are having a transference reaction. It can be difficult if the patient can rationalize their reaftions. Having a strong sexual attraction to your therapist is almost always a transference reaction.

Countertransference is a concept of highly explosive forces that occurs when an analyst's feelings, desires and modes of relating to a patient are derived from earlier experiences in the analyst's life and are transferred to the patient. It should be controlled and supressed. In other words, countertransference is a therapist's counter reaction.

Freud vs. Russell on Repetition Compulsion

2013-03-12T15:20:00.000-07:00

We can say for Remembering, Repeating, and Working Through probably comes closest to identify the main task of psychoanalysis. Freud tells us in this article that people have a tendency to forget their past and to repeat it ,or, act it out in current situations. It is the task of psychoanalysis to help the patient or analys and remember the past. The patient gets better when he/she sees what they have been repeating with the analyst and with other people. When the past is worked through, that is when the person knows what he/she is doing, that person will have the choice to do something different. It is fairly easy to identify a pattern of repetitive behavior. It is fairly easy to identify what someone does over and over again. A man who becomes angry whenever he is slighted, but refrains from saying, anything about it is repeating a behavior pattern he learned in childhood. A woman who flirts with men who are unkind to her may be repeating patterns she learned in her relationship with her father. Although patterns of repetitive behavior may be easy to identify, it is harder to see what makes them compulsive. What drives people to do the things they do over and over again even though they do not work, even though they make people unhappy rather than happy. Russell believes that things that are we all know but we would choose not to know and losses that are much more than we do not feel. He explored a hypothesis that was about repetition compulsion and he made two assumptions. The first, both attachements and losses in treatment process can be a reflection of attachements and losses of life. For growing, loss is necessary and psychotherapy involves grief in order to face necessary losses or namely, compulsive repetition. According to Russell, repetition compulsion is as a resistance for remembering the feeling. However, according to Freud, repetition compulsion is the unconscious desire to repeat an experience or emotion from one’s past. The repetition is the result of repression and transference. The patient is repressing a memory and the mind is forced to re-enact that memory instead of remembering. Based on Freud’s theory on repetition compulsion, if the repetition can be discovered, the memory being resisted can also be discovered. What about the repetition compulsion in a traumatic event? Actually, it is so painful and injurious and also is repeated. There are lots of possibilities and the most important thing is that if the trauma is triggered or released. Repetition compulsion served as an attempt at control. The situation turns from passive to active. However, It is an attempt to make person unable to complete task unconsciously. And then, it can appear as an attachement. And in my opinion, grief involves a resistance and person may want to give it up. Person probably escape the pain becaous of the vulnerability of event. They may prefer the acts and wants the therapist to fill in the gaps. Consequence of the repetition compulsion may cause inability to perceive and becomes over-recognition. According to Freud, a perception instead of memeory which is more functional but experience operates as a deja-vu. The discovery of repressed memories is a major step in Freud’s psychoanalytic process. In later development, the repetition compulsion was used to prove the death drive. That we repeat things that are instinctual, things that are instinctual are an urge to return to a past way of living, and if that is followed through the history of life, the original instinct would be desire to return to an inorganic state. Russell’s four questions provide a way to improve interpersonal relationships by transcending the frustration and sometimes painful cycle of repetitions that haunt so many relationships. His paradoxes are “Is this me or is this you?, Is this now or is this then?, etc.” However, the questions can take one in so many different directions. He stated lots of explanations for why these painful repetitions ocur. Some of them are about an effort to achieve mastery, a failed attempt at self healing, lack of interpersonal competence and so on. Namely, painful repetitions are as a result of a failure in an early attachement relationship. I can say a return of a feeling too painful to experience. This concept is very close to refinding or transference and enactment as well. We can say for Remembering, Repeating, and Working Through probably comes closest to identify the main task of psychoanalysis. Freud tells us in this article that people have a tendency to forget their past and to repeat it ,or, act it out in current situations. It is the task of psychoanalysis to help the patient or analys and remember the past. The patient gets better when he/she sees what they have been repeating with the analyst and with other people. When the past is worked through, that is when the person knows what he/she is doing, that person will have the choice to do something different. It is fairly easy to identify a pattern of repetitive behavior. It is fairly easy to identify what someone does over and over again. A man who becomes angry whenever he is slighted, but refrains from saying, anything about it is repeating a behavior pattern he learned in childhood. A woman who flirts with men who are unkind to her may be repeating patterns she learned in her relationship with her father. Although patterns of repetitive behavior may be easy to identify, it is harder to see what makes them compulsive. What drives people to do the things they do over and over again even though they do not work, even though they make people unhappy rather than happy. Russell believes that things that are we all know but we would choose not to know and losses that are much more than we do not feel. He explored a hypothesis that was about repetition compulsion and he made two assumptions. The first, both attachements and losses in treatment process can be a reflection of attachements and losses of life. For growing, loss is necessary and psychotherapy involves grief in order to face necessary losses or namely, compulsive repetition. According to Russell, repetition compulsion is as a resistance for remembering the feeling. However, according to Freud, repetition compulsion is the unconscious desire to repeat an experience or emotion from one’s past. The repetition is the result of repression and transference. The patient is repressing a memory and the mind is forced to re-enact that memory instead of remembering. Based on Freud’s theory on repetition compulsion, if the repetition can be discovered, the memory being resisted can also be discovered. What about the repetition compulsion in a traumatic event? Actually, it is so painful and injurious and also is repeated. There are lots of possibilities and the most important thing is that if the trauma is triggered or released. Repetition compulsion served as an attempt at control. The situation turns from passive to active. However, It is an attempt to make person unable to complete task unconsciously. And then, it can appear as an attachement. And in my opinion, grief involves a resistance and person may want to give it up. Person probably escape the pain becaous of the vulnerability of event. They may prefer the acts and wants the therapist to fill in the gaps. Consequence of the repetition compulsion may cause inability to perceive and becomes over-recognition. According to Freud, a perception instead of memeory which is more functional but experience operates as a deja-vu. The discovery of repressed memories is a major step in Freud’s psychoanalytic process. In later development, the repetition compulsion was used to prove the death drive. That we repeat things that are instinctual, things that are instinctual are an urge to return to a past way of living, and if that is followed through the history of life, the original instinct would be desire to return to an inorganic state. Russell’s four questions provide a way to improve interpersonal relationships by transcending the frustration and sometimes painful cycle of repetitions that haunt so many relationships. His paradoxes are “Is this me or is this you?, Is this now or is this then?, etc.” However, the questions can take one in so many different directions. He stated lots of explanations for why these painful repetitions ocur. Some of them are about an effort to achieve mastery, a failed attempt at self healing, lack of interpersonal competence and so on. Namely, painful repetitions are as a result of a failure in an early attachement relationship. I can say a return of a feeling too painful to experience. This concept is very close to refinding or transference and enactment as well. We can say for Remembering, Repeating, and Working Through probably comes closest to identify the main task of psychoanalysis. Freud tells us in this article that people have a tendency to forget their past and to repeat it ,or, act it out in current situations. It is the task of psychoanalysis to help the patient or analys and remember the past. The patient gets better when he/she sees what they have been repeating with the analyst and with other people. When the past is worked through, that is when the person knows what he/she is doing, that person will have the choice to do something different. It is fairly easy to identify a pattern of repetitive behavior. It is fairly easy to identify what someone does over and over again. A man who becomes angry whenever he is slighted, but refrains from saying, anything about it is repeating a behavior pattern he learned in childhood. A woman who flirts with men who are unkind to her may be repeating patterns she learned in her relationship with her father. Although patterns of repetitive behavior may be easy to identify, it is harder to see what makes them compulsive. What drives people to do the things they do over and over again even though they do not work, even though they make people unhappy rather than happy. Russell believes that things that are we all know but we would choose not to know and losses that are much more than we do not feel. He explored a hypothesis that was about repetition compulsion and he made two assumptions. The first, both attachements and losses in treatment process can be a reflection of attachements and losses of life. For growing, loss is necessary and psychotherapy involves grief in order to face necessary losses or namely, compulsive repetition. According to Russell, repetition compulsion is as a resistance for remembering the feeling. However, according to Freud, repetition compulsion is the unconscious desire to repeat an experience or emotion from one’s past. The repetition is the result of repression and transference. The patient is repressing a memory and the mind is forced to re-enact that memory instead of remembering. Based on Freud’s theory on repetition compulsion, if the repetition can be discovered, the memory being resisted can also be discovered. What about the repetition compulsion in a traumatic event? Actually, it is so painful and injurious and also is repeated. There are lots of possibilities and the most important thing is that if the trauma is triggered or released. Repetition compulsion served as an attempt at control. The situation turns from passive to active. However, It is an attempt to make person unable to complete task unconsciously. And then, it can appear as an attachement. And in my opinion, grief involves a resistance and person may want to give it up. Person probably escape the pain becaous of the vulnerability of event. They may prefer the acts and wants the therapist to fill in the gaps. Consequence of the repetition compulsion may cause inability to perceive and becomes over-recognition. According to Freud, a perception instead of memeory which is more functional but experience operates as a deja-vu. The discovery of repressed memories is a major step in Freud’s psychoanalytic process. In later development, the repetition compulsion was used to prove the death drive. That we repeat things that are instinctual, things that are instinctual are an urge to return to a past way of living, and if that is followed through the history of life, the original instinct would be desire to return to an inorganic state. Russell’s four questions provide a way to improve interpersonal relationships by transcending the frustration and sometimes painful cycle of repetitions that haunt so many relationships. His paradoxes are “Is this me or is this you?, Is this now or is this then?, etc.” However, the questions can take one in so many different directions. He stated lots of explanations for why these painful repetitions ocur. Some of them are about an effort to achieve mastery, a failed attempt at self healing, lack of interpersonal competence and so on. Namely, painful repetitions are as a result of a failure in an early attachement relationship. I can say a return of a feeling too painful to experience. This concept is very close to refinding or transference and enactment as well.

Structuralism vs. Functionalism

2013-01-11T05:00:00.002-08:00

Titchener is seen as the father of structuralism. He altered Wundt’s theory extensively resulting in a new theory. Titchener believed that psychology's goal was to discover and analyzed consciousness into its component parts and then determined its structure.

Firstly, functionalism began as a result of Titchener's structural theory. It led to form basic ideologies for William James and Charles Darwin. Especially, Darwin’s theory of natural selection was tremendously influential on the establishment of functionalism. It's a heteregeneous viewpoint that focuses on function instead of the structure of the mental process. In addition, Harvey A. Car defined psychology with two components. He defined the psychology as mental activity such as memory, perception, imagination, judgment, and will for organizing and evaluating experiences. He labeled all these were as adaptive or adjustive behaviors.

According to Descartes, the theory of a mechanistic universe proposed impersonal force of evolution. The function of mind and body was looked as adaptive instead of being innate. Individual differences and laws of the mind and body became the center of creative and scientific energy. William James became a major proponent of this changing scientific focus. There are some similarities and differences between functionalism and structuralism. They both incorporate introspection and self-evaluation.

Functionalism focuses on the acts and functions of the mind rather than its internal contents. Functionalist believe in order to have a healthy society, individuals must obey society’s norms and values. Functionalist are more interested in what makes people different from each other than in what makes them similar to one another. Everything serves a purpose in life or it would not exist: believed that the mind has the function of helping us to adapt to the environment. They want to understand the function of the mind, the way it helps us to adapt.

In the last part of the 20th century, functionalism is the dominant theory of mental states. Like behaviorism, functionalism takes mental states. But, in contrast to behaviorism, functionalism's characterization of mental states in terms of their roles in the production of behavior grants. Functionalism offers an account of mental states that is compatible with materialism. And structuralism could not alive after Titchener’s dead.

ADHD

2012-12-23T17:32:00.005-08:00

Have you ever had trouble to focus on something, or have you interrupted others during a conversation or acted impulsively without thinking things through? Can you recall times when you daydreamed or had difficulty focusing on the task at hand? Most of us can picture acting this way from time to time. But for some people, these and other exasperating behaviors are uncontrollable, persistently plaguing their day-to-day existence and interfering with their ability to form lasting friendships or succeed in school, at home and with a career as well.

Treatment starts at home and medication sometimes is not the only answer. Everyone responds differently to ADHD medication. Some children can experience dramatic improvement. The side effects also may differ from child to child. As a parent, you have a huge influence over your child’s treatment. For example, eating a healthy diet, getting plenty of exercise, and making other smart daily choices can help your child manage the symptoms of ADHD. That means your child can begin treatment for ADHD todays at home. Although there are many ways you can help at home, the best respond occur with a combination of treatment with a professional help such as stimulant or non-stimulant medications, managing behavior, different types of psychotherapy and so on.

First of all, there are three types of medication of ADHD such as methylphenidate, dexamfetamine and atomoxetine. Methylphenidate and dexamfetamine give a period of treatment during each day for children and teenagers. However, atomoxetine usually gives a longer period of time for adults. Medications help someone who has ADHD to concentrate better, feel calmer, learn and practise new skills, and also being less impulsive. However, if children do not respond to stimulants, antidepressants are usually used.

Secodly, combination medication and different therapies are useful in treating ADHD for children, teenagers and adults. What’s more, social skills training involves taking part in role-play situations for children and aims to teach them how to behave in social situations by learning how their behavior affects others. In addition to this, cognitive behavioral therapy is an alternative form of therapy and try to change how your child feels, think and reach a situation.

Thirdly, other methods of treatment are diet, exercise and supplements. Because there are most common side effects such as decreased appetite, increasing anxiety, weighting loss, sleeping problems (insomnia). Diet, exercise and supplements can balance these life style changes. Children with ADHD influence the parents’ daily routine life. Because your child is 7 years old and you can not decide if you should give medication or pursue alternative treatments. This is absolutely though dilemma for parents. One one hand, medications increase your children to ability to focus increases, their grades improve, and they feel better themselves. On the other hand, these medications are psycho-stimulants and it has side effects like insomnia, depression, weighting loss, or anxiety. However, if natural treatments are effective, combination of treatment always respond more effectively.

With Bob Marley

2012-11-20T14:49:00.002-08:00

The Bob Marley biography provides testament to the unparalleled influence of his artistry upon global culture. Since his passing on May 11, 1981, Bob Marley's legend looms larger than ever, as evidenced by an ever-lengthening list of accomplishments attributable to his music, which identified oppressors and agitated for social change while simultaneously allowing listeners to forget their troubles and dance.

Bob Marley was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994; in December 1999, his 1977 album "Exodus" was named Album of the Century by Time Magazine and his song "One Love" was designated Song of the Millennium by the BBC. Since its release in 1984, Marley's "Legend" compilation has annually sold over 250,000 copies according to Nielsen Sound Scan, and it is only the 17th album to exceed sales of 10 million copies since SoundScan began its tabulations in 1991.

Bob Marley's music was never recognized with a Grammy nomination but in 2001 he was bestowed The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, an honor given by the Recording Academy to "performers who during their lifetimes, have made creative contributions of outstanding artistic significance to the field of recording." That same year, a feature length documentary about Bob Marley's life, Rebel Music, directed by Jeremy Marre, was nominated for a Grammy for Best Long Form Music Video documentary. In 2001 Bob Marley was accorded the 2171st star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame by the Hollywood Historic Trust and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, in Hollywood, California. As a recipient of this distinction, Bob Marley joined musical legends including Carlos Santana, Stevie Wonder and The Temptations.

In 2006 an eight block stretch of Brooklyn's bustling Church Avenue, which runs through the heart of that city's Caribbean community, was renamed Bob Marley Boulevard, the result of a campaign initiated by New York City councilwoman Yvette D. Clarke. This year the popular TV show Late Night with Jimmy Fallon commemorated the 30th anniversary of Bob Marley's passing with an entire week (May 9-13) devoted to his music, as performed by Bob's eldest son Ziggy, Jennifer Hudson, Lauryn Hill, Lenny Kravitz and the show's house band The Roots. These triumphs are all the more remarkable considering Bob Marley's humble beginnings and numerous challenges he overcame attempting to gain a foothold in Jamaica's chaotic music industry while skillfully navigating the politically partisan violence that abounded in Kingston throughout the 1970s.

One of the 20th century's most charismatic and challenging performers, Bob Marley's renown now transcends the role of reggae luminary: he is regarded as a cultural icon who implored his people to know their history "coming from the root of King David, through the line of Solomon," as he sang on "Blackman Redemption"; Bob urged his listeners to check out the "Real Situation" and to rebel against the vampiric "Babylon System". "Bob had a rebel type of approach, but his rebelliousness had a clearly defined purpose to it," acknowledges Chris Blackwell, the founder of Island Records, who played a pivotal role in the Bob Marley biography by introducing Marley and the Wailers to an international audience. "It wasn't just mindless rebelliousness, he was rebelling against the circumstances in which he and so many people found themselves."

http://www.bobmarley.com/

Nation State Issue and Authority

2012-11-18T10:26:00.002-08:00

Ohmae’s article is about the effects of globalization on nation states. First of all, modern nation state is damaged because of the concept of new world order. Also, older patterns of nations lose their functions and so it should be new arrangements insted of it. It is not easy, why because older patterns are based on nation’s trade and investment.

According to Ohmae, there is a seperation because of the two world wars and industrial rebellion. This seperation leads to current worldwide changes in economics as in politics. For this reason, there must be new forms such as new channels. Also it should be more different than traditional one. However, nation state already lost its impact for global economy. What’s more, there is an irony about economic sovereignity for people. Because this process restrict the freedom for economic well-being as if it punishes the countries as an example of diverting investment, but also it should be essential.

The fact is that, national labels are preferred, partly because people want to have both low-cost and high-quality products, if the products do not produced in their countries. Partly because, nation states are more effective in global economy contrast to unexpected. For example, some construction materials are cheaper in Singapore than in Japan and also none of them are produced in Singapore as well. It is stemmed from centrifugal forces. Lack of vision, people have matters about civilization.

According to Strange, people do not prefer to trust ministers about national societies and economies. Because, politicians are talking as if they know all answers of problems and it is not confident for people. It seems as an economic lie. However, there is a belief, people prefer to trust to national leaders, although they tend to convince with inappripriate and stable ideas. We need to rethink about these ideas for international relations. Because, at first, politics’ limits are as a social activity; at second, there is a nature and source of power in society; at third, there is indivisibility of authority in a market economy; at last, both nature of international society and rational conduct are acting as a whole in society.

EMPRICISM : Descartes, Locke, Berkeley

2012-10-30T06:49:00.003-07:00

During the 17^thand 18^thcenturies, physics was a natural philosophy. People began to think mechanically and invented machines. The idea of the universe as a great machine and the spirit of mechanism were stemmed from the works of Galileo and Newton.

The idea of the universe as a “clock work” leads to provide the concept of Determinism. Because, it means that each motion is determined by past events. A person may divide a clock and learns how it works. And so, it leads to provide the concept of Reductionism. In other words, a person may understand the physical universe if they divide atoms and molecules of universe and also distinguish and analyze them.

Due to Zeitgeist, people belive that they can attain absolute knowledge if they observe the Nature. And so, it leads to provide the concept of Empricism. Each knowledge is not absolutely right and it is skeptical. What’s more, people began to think about human mind. Firstly, Descartes thought the machines’ work such as clocks or mechanical duck which was similar to a human body.

Before Descartes, people thougt that there was a single way and mind interacted the body. However, Descartes believed that there was a mutual interaction and mind interacted body and vice versa. According to Dualism, both mind and body have different natures, in that case, what is the nature of relationship between mind and body according to Descartes? He thought that mind’s function was “thinking” and all the other functions were related to body. And then, we can say mind and body are different entities and they have not got any qualitative similarities. The important thing is that they interact with each other in a human organism.

According to Descartes, there is two ideas: derived and innate. We can say that a scene of a tree is related to derived ideas and it comes from sensory experiences. Innate ideas are related to unconscious such as God, perfection, or infinity. All knowledges are derived from sensory experiences and it leads to develop Gestalt Psychology soon.

In contrast, Locke thinks that human mind as a blank slate, or tabula rasa. People learn the concept of God in their later years, for example; in childhood and than they forgot and so they could not remember. Because of this, they think that this concept as an innate. He means that’s habit and mind attains all knowledges from experiences. According to him, there is two different experiences: sensation and reflection. Sensations are necessary for reflections and it leads to provide notions. The source of notions is mind and it depends on reflections. Notions are similar to Galileo and Newton’s mechanical perspective such as atoms. Therefore, we can say that knowledge based on sense experiences.

According to Locke, simple ideas are combining to form new ideas, complex ideas. We can say it is analyzing, combining as if “clock work”. It is Locke’s association theory. It is as a learning process.

Our perception of world is subjective according to Locke. However, Berkeley believed that all our perception is very subjective for secondary qualities and it depends on perceiver. Because, we have individual differences. According to him, knowledge comes from mental notions, not physical objects.

The fact is that, Berkeley agrees with Locke about knowledge comes from experiences but he disagrees about the primary and the secondary qualities. He rejects Locke’s the primary qualities but he admits the secondary qualities. He suggests the depth perception and says that if there is no perception, there is no qualities.

In 17^thand 18^th century, people started to think about mechanical things, machines, calculaters, clocks, or computers. In that century, their perception began to change in every aspect of life. Due to developing technology, people discovered and invented many things. So, it affected the daily life, science, religion and also culture. People began to think about mind. They tried to attain the certain and absolute knowledge. And also it is still maintaining.

In my opinion, we have innate ideas such as God, perfection, infinity and I do not think that our mind is a blank slate. But I do not know how I can explain, if people do not know anything about God or mathematics. We experiences and we have habits but also we have innate ideas about some concepts. We combine innate ideas and experiences and so we have habits according to me. Senses are very subjective, changeable and so not reliable.

Freud

2012-10-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Bir insana vazgeçilmez olduğunu hissettirirseniz, ilk vazgeçeceği insan siz olursunuz.

Düşünebilen Herkesin İnsan Olması, İnsan Olan Herkesin Düşünebildiği Manasına Gelmiyor Ne Yazık ki.

Garip değil mi ? Uluşamayacağın kadar yüksekte sandığın kişiler, aslında eğilemeyeceğin kadar alçaktadır !

Garip değil mi ? Yüzüne gülecek kadar dost sandığın kişiler, aslında arkandan konuşacak kadar yüzsüzler.

Herkes doğru insanı bulmak ister, yanılmamak için. Oysa kimse uğraşmaz, doğru insan olmak için.

Bil ki, önemli değildir kaç kez yenildiğin... Çünkü asıl önemli olan, kaç yenilgiden sonra yeniden doğrulabildiğin.

Mutsuzluğu tatmadan, hep mutlu olmak istersin. Oysa nelerin seni mutsuz ettiğini bilmeden, nelerle mutlu olacağını bilemezsin.

Güç ve güveni hep dışımda aradım. Ama bunlar insanın içinden gelir. Ve her zaman oradadırlar.

Garip değil mi ? Edepli edebinden susar, Edepsiz ben susturdum sanar.

Yaşam belirtisinin kökeninde duygulanma vardır, duygulanmanın da temeli aşktır.

Garip değil mi ? Birini işaret ederek suçlarken işaret parmağınız onu, Diğer üç parmağınız ise sizi gösterir.

Bir insanı unutabilirsin, Bir insanın sana neler yaptığını da unutabilirsin, ama o insanın sana ne hissettirdiğini asla unutamazsın...

Aslında unutmak; artık acıyı hissetmemektir. Çünkü yapılanları zihinsel olarak unutmak fizik kurallarına göre mümkün değildir.

Kadınları anlamak için, bir labirenti düz yola çevirmek gerekir.

Birinin yalan söylemesine kızmam da yalan söylerken yakalanacak kadar salak b...ir insanın beni kandırmaya çalışmasına kızarım.

Garip değil mi? İnsan kötü bir şey yapacağını hissettiği zaman, mutlaka vicdanını susturacak bir sebep bulur.

İnsanlığın hangi filizi köreltilmek istenmişse, o filiz daha gür büyümüştür.

Din, toplumsal obsesyonlarımız, obsesyonlarımız ise bireysel dinimizdir.

İnsanın gelişmesi içeriden dışarıya doğrudur.

Çocuklar tümüyle egoist varlıklardır. İhtiyaçlarını çok yoğun biçimde hisseder ve karşılamak için acımasızca mücadele ederler.

İnsanın sağlığını koruyan iki faktör vardır. İşini sevmesi ve hayatı sevmesi.

İsmini unuttuğunuz kişi hakkında muhakkak olumsuz bir düşünceniz vardır.

Özür dilemek, sizin haksız olduğunuz manasına gelmez. Karşınızdaki insana verdiğiniz değerin; egonuzdan yüksek olduğunu gösterir.

Bir insan bir yere bakıyorsa orada ilgilendiği bir şey vardır. Bir insan bir yere hiç bakmıyorsa orada ilgilendiği bir şey kesinlikle vardır.

Henüz yanıtlanamamış ve kadın ruhuyla ilgili otuz yıl süren araştırmalarıma karşın benim de yanıtlamayı başaramadığım çok önemli bir soru var: Kadın ne ister?

Medeniyetin kurucusu ilk defa mızrak atmak yerine küfür kullanmış olan insandır.

Bilgi hazinelerine ulaşabilen insanların sayısı ne kadar artarsa, dini inançlardan kopuş da o kadar yaygınlaşır.

Siz cevaplar bulmaya çalışıyorsunuz, biz ise daha çok soru sormak niyetindeyiz.

Gittiğim her yerde, bende önce oraya gitmiş bir şair buldum.

Medeniyetin ilk şartı adalettir.

Bırakın adalet yerini bulsun, isterse kıyamet kopsun.

Annesinin gözdesi olan erkek hayatı boyunca bir kahraman gibi hisseder.

Sinir hastalığı belirsizliğe tolarans gösterememektir.

Özgürlük medeniyetin insana bir armağanı değildir. Hiç medeniyet yokken insanoğlu çok daha özgürdü.

Garip değil mi ? Hatıralar mutluluk vericidir, ama bazen hatırlamak; intihar sebebin bile olabilir.

Sevginizi ihtimaller üzerine kurarsanız, İhanetlerle son bulur.

Adaleti aklın yardımı olmadan kullanmak imkansızdır.

Hiç bir erkek birlikte olmak istemeyeceği bir kızla yakın arkadaş olmak istemez.

Bir objeye duyulan sevgi, ona sahip olma isteğinden gelir.

Aşk yoktur, libido vardır.

Kültürel doğrularımızla sağlanan bilginin tümü arasında doğruluğu en az kanıtlanabilmiş unsurlar, tam da bizim için en fazla önem taşıması gereken ve evrenin bilmecelerini çözme, yaşamın acılarına katlanmamızı sağlama görevi üstlenmiş unsurlardır.

Ensest ilişki, insanın içinde uyuyan bir yaratıktır. Ve bu yaratık hiçbir zaman uyanmaz. Ancak bazen, uyurken, çok şiddetli horlayabilir.

Zamanın akışı içinde insanlık, bilimin ellerinden gelen darbelerle iki kez, naif özsevgisinin incinmesinin acısını yaşamak zorunda kalmıştır: Birincisi, dünyanın merkezi olmadığını, akıl almaz büyüklükte bir dünyalar sistemi içinde sadece bir nokta olduğunu anladığında... İkincisi, biyolojik araştırmalar özel yaratılmışlık ayrıcalığını elinden alıp soykütüğünü hayvanlar alemine düşürdüğünde.

Kitleler asla gerçeğin peşinde koşmamıştır. Yanılsamalar isterler ve yanılsamasız yapamazlar. Gerçek olmayanları gerçeklerin üstünde tutarlar; gerçeklerden çok gerçek olmaynların etkisinde kalırlar. Bu ikisi arasında ayırım yapmama eğilimi oldukça yüksektir.

Issue of Globalization

2012-10-11T06:20:00.003-07:00

Nowadays, there is a lot of definition for explaning the mean of globalization. The common feature of the definition is suffered from a disagreement on a common. In my opinion, the globalization is a talk-box but it is both mind-boggling and more complex phenomenon.

I wonder that does globalization only affect the ordinary people or, on the other hand, how do politicians, opinion leaders, and authors affect? If people do not know what the globalization is, there is a deep conflict and polarization such as globalists and nationalists according to me. For instance, if intellectuals know it, is there a chance to develop the third way apart from polarization? However, the fact is that being a side of something is always the easiest and preferred way as we know and as we do. Because, it is very common to say “black, or, white” in some societies and there is no “grey”. And so, there is no thinking and also questioning. What the opinion leaders say, all they are the truth. I think all of them are like parrots. They never need to think and judge something. The ideas are ready for them as slogans. And so, is globalization good or bad? It is good but we do not know why it is good. Or, it is bad but we do not know why it is bad.

I am very sure that if I say all products are cheaper than before, many nationalists blame to me for supporting globalists. However, it is very true and also wealth is totally increased. On the other hand, if I say that the globalization is an environmental disaster, many globalists blame to me for supporting nationalists. However, it is very true and, what’s more, wealth and income are deepining between countries. We know that there is a deep diversity between wealthy and poor people. It is very complex whereas both are true.

There is a change and it is rapidly increasing. Well, is it stopped? I think it is not stopped. In history, before WW2, there was a concept of globalization and it was stopped because of the WW2 in England. In todays, it is very popular concept and also we know that it is very dynamic. It sounds that it is like a mode, a fashion, a changing. It is unavoidable!

There is a interaction between people and countries. I mean that if I have a diet for an healthy life, I can affect a farmer’s income. I think that it is my definition about globalization. Time is changing and people are changing accordingly.

Uykusuzluk

2012-09-24T11:53:00.001-07:00

İngiltere´de yapılan bir araştırmaya göre, gece geç saatlerde uykuya yatanların IQ´su (zekâ düzeyi) daha yüksek, erken yatanların ise daha düşük. London School of Economics´in araştırması uyku ile zekâ arasında bağlantı kurdu.

Satoshi Kanazawa ve ekibinin yaptığı araştırmaya göre, IQ´su yüksek olanlar geceleri daha aktif oluyor ve bununla bağlantılı olarak geç yatağa giriyorlar. Aksine zekâ düzeyi düşük olanlar ise erkenden yatakta olmayı tercih ediyor.

Amerikan Hastanesi Uyku Bozuklukları Uzmanı Dr. Sabri Derman ise araştırmanın ilginç sonuçlarını şöyle değerlendirdi: "İlginç bir araştırma! Yaratıcı insanların daha geç yatmaya ve geç kalkmaya eğilimli oldukları uzun zamandır biliniyor. Öte yandan genetik olarak ebeveynlerimizden bize özgü yatma/kalkma saatlerini ve uyku süremizi aldığımız da bilinen bir gerçek. Belki de yaratıcı insanlar o nedenle toplumda 09.00-18.00 iş saatlerine uyamıyorlar, rutin emekten çok zeka gerektiren, ama esnek mesaili işlere eğilimli oluyorlar"

iPaid

2012-09-13T09:21:00.001-07:00

HOME

2012-08-15T07:35:00.000-07:00

We are living in exceptional times. Scientists tell us that we have 10 years to change the way we live, avert the depletion of natural resources and the catastrophic evolution of the Earth's climate.

The stakes are high for us and our children. Everyone should take part in the effort, and HOME has been conceived to take a message of mobilization out to every human being.

For this purpose, HOME needs to be free. A patron, the PPR Group, made this possible. EuropaCorp, the distributor, also pledged not to make any profit because Home is a non-profit film.

HOME has been made for you : share it! And act for the planet.

Yann Arthus-Bertrand

http://www.homethemovie.org/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqxENMKaeCU&feature=player_embedded&continue_action=fYfnbtRCR0uxa8T6rF3C3TxBZ3aCnyXN2ZrURqA0rQQ2d2M4-_4ZJqvT3dqBYqPzlzKnDpxhlOwzCF-pQcYovyzpgdUX4pTMNeKe3r4d6BM=

Japanese Culture

2012-08-01T07:23:00.001-07:00

Japanese take great pride in the quality and purity of their food. Discussions about food can be very serious, passionate and deeply analytical. Foreign visitors to Tokyo describe the food "sublime, delicate and carefully presented."

The average daily caloric intake in Japan is 2,754 calories, 85th in the world, compared to 3,825 in the United States (no.1) and 1,500 in the Congo (173rd).

Japanese cuisine is often seafood-based and generally it doesn't have the thick spicy sauces associated with Chinese food. Sweet teriyaki-style sauces though are common and artistic arrangements of the food items served is important. Portions are small by American standards and a lot of efforts can go into getting the right ingredients, preparation and presentation, especially at fancy restaurants.

The Japanese love to eat. When asked what makes them happiest, many Japanese say a delicious meal. Television is filled with cooking and eating shows. The variety of food found in Japan is astounding. Hundreds of different dishes are available. Each city, town and region has its speciality for which it is known nationally. But this wasn't always the case. Up until maybe 50 years ago most people ate soup and rice three meal day and occasionally ate dried, salted or fermented dish. Buddhist beliefs discouraged eating of meat and even milk.

Japanese grilling eschews large chunks of meat and big fish. Instead it favor small cuts if meat and small sea creatures that are carefully prepared and cooked. There are often sauces that go with each dish.

It has been said the essence of Western cuisines is richness created by layers of different tastes while the essence of Japanese cuisine is simplicity created by eliminating all unnecessary flavors. The Japanese are obsessed with freshness and food quality. They are willing to pay higher prices for quality.

A survey in 2007 found that 71 percent of foreign tourists to Japan are attracted by Japanese food.

A traditional meal is served with rice, vegetables and miso (fermented soy bean paste) soup and fruit is often eaten as desert. Many dishes come with soy sauce or wasabi (very hot mustard-like green horseradish). Many urban Japanese have adopted the American way of eating—a big breakfast, light lunch, and a big dinner. Miso soup and rice are a dietary base, often eaten for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Breakfast (asa-gohan) is generally eaten between 7:00am and 7:30am and consists of juice, coffee, eggs and toast or rice. A typical breakfast consists of rice, miso soup, spinach and egg. Most people eat breakfast at home. It's hard to find a restaurant that serves breakfast. Many coffee ships have a set breakfast with a drink, toast, boiled egg and light food. On the weekends people eat pancakes or a traditional breakfast of miso soup, rice, egg, vegetable and fish.

Lunch (hiru-gohan) is generally eaten between 12:00 noon and 2:00pm. Many people eat out, grabbing a quick meal or snack such as a bowl of noodles, sandwiches, rice balls or Chinese food.

Dinner (ban-gohan) is generally eaten between 6:00pm and 8:00pm. It generally an informal meal with meat or fish, rice and miso soup. Main dishes made at home, include thing things like curry rice, pork cutlets, meatloaf-like hamburgers, fried fish, stir fried chicken or pork dishes, and dishes made with tofu. Fancier dinners include some of the items listed below.

Japanese often drink nothing with their meals, Miso soup often serves the purpose of a drink. Sometimes beer, wine, hot tea, cold tea, water or other drinks are served with their meals. An evening snack of fruit is commonly eaten around 10:00pm.

Japanese consider it uncouth to lick your fingers or blow your nose, especially when eating. Japanese are offended if you dump soy sauce or salt all your food. They regards this as an efforts to mask the flavor of food that taste bad. If you use a toothpick cover your mouth while you do it. Also remember that an empty rice bowl if often a sign that you have finished eating.

Japanese consider it somewhat rude to eat in front of non-eating people, or to eat while walking down the streets. The latter custom dates back to a time when eating in public was considered mean to people who didn't have enough to eat. In 8th century Japan there was a law that required anyone caught in the act of drinking while standing up to commit suicide. With the rising popularity of fast food, many people now eat on the streets on subways. Eating on trains is the norm.

Slurping in Japan

Japanese often make loud slurping noises when eating noodles. Making noise is not considered impolite, rather, it is considered a compliment and an expression of enjoying the food. One man told AP, "It'll be a truly lonely feeling when nobody makes slurping noises anymore." In some situations, a particularly loud slurp means you've finished eating.

Many Japanese, especially older men, believe that noodles taste better when they hot and drenched in broth and are best appreciated when slurped. Among the ranks of unapologetic noodle slurpers are Prime Minister Junichito Koizumi.

Sometimes a well-timed burp is also taken as a compliment.

These days many Japanese, especially young women find noodle slurping noises to be offensive and worry about splattering broth on their designer clothes. "Slurping is for old men," one office worker told AP. "Slurping has nothing to do whether it taste good or not."

Japanese eat all Japanese-style meals with chopsticks. Even soup is consumed with chopsticks (the ingredients are eaten with chopsticks and the soup is drunk from the bowl). Leaving chopsticks sticking up in a bowl of rice should be avoided. It is a sign of death. Most food is soft or small enough that it can picked up or cut with chopsticks. Forks, knives and spoons are used for eating Western food.

When you finish you using your chopsticks you should set your chopsticks in a little chopstick tray or place them horizontally on your plate or bowl in such a way that they are not pointing at anyone. If you forget some of these rules or get mixed up it is usually no great tragedy.

Meals often consist of many dishes, which are passed around and carried from the kitchen on trays and placed in the table. Each person serves himself some food from the dishes onto small plate. Sometimes there are different plates for different foods.

Ideally you should serve yourself with one set off chopsticks and eat with another. People often serve themselves by taking food from a serving dish with a serving spoon, their fingers or communal chopsticks and then placing them on a small plate in front of them.

If there is no serving spoon or communal chopsticks, you should turn your chopsticks around and pick up the food with the end of your chopsticks that have not been placed in your mouth.

Many Japanese pick up their rice bowl when they are eating and place it under their mouths and use it as a safety net for anything that falls down. When a rice bowl isn't available they place their free hand under their chopsticks for the same purpose.

AyaSofya (Hagia Sophia)

2012-07-26T04:19:00.002-07:00

921 yıl kilise, 481 yıl da cami olarak hizmet gören Ayasofya, gerçekten çok etkin bir bina. İçeri girildiğinde insan ister istemez yüzyılların ağırlığını hissediyor. Bu dev yapı büyüklük yönünden Dünya'da dördüncü, kubbe yüksekliği yönündense beşincidir.

Yüzyıllarca Hıristiyan Ortodoks Kilisesi' nin yönetim merkezi olan Ayasofya'ya Osmanlılarda çok önem verdiler. Bu önem onun maddi ve manevi varlığını büyüttü. Çeşitli mitler, öyküler, inançlar üst üste yığıldı. Gerçi, Dünya'nın

birçok yerindeki ünlü ibadethanelerin kendilerine göre mitleri vardır. Yapım zamanlarının eskiliğine göre, çeşitli garip inançların hedefi olmuşlardır. Fakat Ayasofya'nın bu alandaki ünü çok fazla. Onun her yanı garip öykülerle dolu...

Hem Hıristiyanlarca, hem de Müslümanlarca benimsenen ibadet yerlerinin en ünlüsü, Ayasofya...

Maketini arılar yaptı
Ayasofya birçok kereler yapıldı ve yıkıldı. En son yıkılışı da Bizans tarihinde geçen Nika isyanı sırasında oldu. M.S. 532 yılındaki bu isyan sırasında Ayasofya Bizans İmparatoru Justinyanus kiliseyi yeniden yaptırmaya karar verdi. Yapacak mimarı bir türlü bulamadı. O günlerde çok ilginç bir olay oldu. Bir dini ayin sırasında elindeki kutsal ekmekçiği bir arı kapıp kaçtı. İmparator arının saklandığı peteği bulup getirene ödüller vaat etti. Sonunda birisi bulup getirdi. Hayretle gördüler ki, petek mabet maketi şeklindeydi. Mabedin mihrap yerinde de kutsal ekmek duruyordu.

Beyazlı delikanlının getirdiği altın
Sonra yapım başladı. Sıra kubbeye geldiğinde para bitmişti ve durmak zorunda kaldılar. İşte tam bu sırada, beyazlar giymiş bir delikanlı ortaya çıktı. Beraberinde çuvallarla yüklü katırlar da getirmişti. Delikanlıyı, İmparator Justinyanus'un huzuruna çıkardılar. İmparator çuvalların içindeki altını görünce, şaşkınlığını gizleyemedi.
Justinyanus buna çok sevindi. Olayı yakınlarına anlattı. Fakat tılsım bozuldu. Beyazlı delikanlı bir daha görünmedi...

Mimar kaçıyor
Duvarlar kubbe seviyesine gelince bu defa, mimarbaşı ortadan yok oldu. Roma'ya kaçtığını öğrendiler. 7 yıl sonra mimar, Roma'daki işini de yarım bırakıp tekrar İstanbul'a döndü. İmparator, mimarbaşını görünce çok kızdı. Fakat mimarbaşı ona şöyle dedi:
"Bu koca yapının temelinin çok sağlam olması gerekir, eğer kalsaydım acele ettirecektiniz ve yapının sağlamlığı tehlikeye düşecekti."
Ayasofya'nın yapımı, 40 yıl sürdü. Büyük kubbenin üzerine altın bir haç takıldı. Bu haç o zamanlar öyle parlaktı ki, güneş vurunca, ışığı Alemdağ'dan,hatta Istranca Dağlanrından dahi görülüyordu.

Yılanlar imparatoriçenin cesedini yiyorlar
Justinyanus'un karısı İmparatoriçe Thedora, güzelliğinden başka bir şey düşünmeyen çok günahkâr bir kadındı. Ölünce yılanların kendisini yiyeceklerinden çok korkuyordu. Bu nedenle kurşun bir lahit yaptırdı ve kilisenin büyük kapısı üzerine gömülmesini emretti. Ancak efsaneye göre iki yılan, lahitte delikler açarak içeri girdiler ve cesedi yediler. Şimdi Ayasofya'nın giriş kapısı üzerinde görülen delikler yılanların açtığı delikler olarak kabul edilir.

Terleyen direk
Ayasofya'nın kıble tarafındaki kapılarından soldan sayılınca sonuncusunun iç tarafında bir mermer sütun var. Bu sütunun en büyük özelliği kış ve yaz nemli olması. Bu yüzden bu sütuna "terleyen direk" deniyor. Sütunun zemininden başlayarak bir buçuk metrelik bir kısmı bakır plakalarla kaplı.
İnanca göre sürekli baş ağrısı çekenleri, sindirim sistemi hastalıkları olanları ve sıtmaya tutulanları bu direk tedavi ediyor. Önce iki rekât namaz kılınıyor, sonra hasta avuçlarını önce bakır plakalara sonra da yüzüne sürüyor. Bu hareket üç kez tekrarlanınca hastalıklar iyi oluyor...
Ayrıca elleri çok terleyen kimselerin, direğin üzerinde bulunan deliğe parmaklarını soktukları ve artık ellerinin terlemediği birçok defalar görülmüş...

Terlemenin nedeni...
İnanca göre, Ayasofya'nın büyük bir kubbesi bir depremde yıkılınca, 300 rahip Mekke'ye gitmişler ve orada zemzem suyundan almışlar, bunu Mekke toprağı ile karıştırıp,bu sütunun altına harç olarak koymuşlar. Sütunun bu yüzden "terlediğine"inanılıyor.
Bir başka inanca göre de Hızır Peygamber, parmağım Ayasofya'daki deliğe sokmuş ve binayı Mekke'ye yöneltmiş yani kıbleye çevirmiş. Terleyen direğin ya da diğer adıyla ağlayan direğin öyküsü, görüldüğü kadarıyla Osmanlı döneminde ortaya çıkmış. İslam inançlarıyla beslenmiş.

Sütunun yapısının gözenekli olduğu ve kılcal damarlar yoluyla temeldeki suyu emdiği ve bu yüzden terlediği, en geçerli bilimsel açıklamalardan biri. Ama acaba neden sadece bu direği gözenekli taştan yapmışlar? Bu soru cevapsız kalıyor...

Kuyudaki şifalı su

Ayasofya'nın içinde büyük salonun ortasında bir kuyu var. Eskiden bu kuyu kalp hastalığına tutulanların sık sık geldikleri bir yerdi. Bunlar üç cumartesi art arda aç karnına buraya geli}, sabah namazını kılar ve bu sudan içerlerdi.
Bu gelenek cami müze haline getirilene kadar sürdü. Kuyunun üzerinde yaklaşık 50 santim çapında, demir bir kapak var. 7 metrelik bir çubuk sarkıtıldığında dibine ulaşılamıyor. Su hâlâ mevcut, tadı tatlımsı ve mineralli.
Bu suyun ne tür bir bir bileşim taşıdığının, incelenmesi gerekir. Yüzyıllardır orada durduğuna göre acaba bozulmuş mudur? Sonra niçin kalp hastalığına iyi geliyor? Bu da düşündürüyor. Yoksa suyun bir özelliği mi var? Bu soruların cevaplarını, devletin yetkili kurumlarına bırakıyoruz.
Geçenlerde bilim dünyası çikolatanın içinde bulunan bir maddenin hormonal etki yaptığını açıkladı. Ama bu etki özellikle, aşk yüzünden kalbi kırılanların üzerinde görülüyormuş. Demek ki, bu madde,beyinde aşırı üzüntü yaratan merkezi etkiliyor. Ayasofya' daki kuyunun şifalı suyunun da böyle bir özelliği neden olmasın!

"Tabuta dokunursanız, Ayasofya yıkılır"

Ayasofya'nın orta kıble kapısı üzerinde bir tabut var. Sarı pirinçten yapılmış bu tabutta Kraliçe Sofya yatıyor.
Yalnız bir tehlike var, "Bu tabuta sakın dokunmayın" deniyor. Çünkü tabuta el sürü-lürse-jbüyük bir gürültü başlıyor ve tüm bina sallanmaya başlıyormuş.
Kubbenin dört tarafında birer melek resmi var. Bunlar Cebrail, Mikail, İsrafil ve Azrail'dir. Bu melekler kanatlarını açmış bir biçimde çizilmişler. İnanca göre Azrail, imparatorların ölümlerini, Mikail düşman saldırılarını, Cebrail ve İsrafil ise olacak olayları haber veriyor.
İnananlar, tabut ile bu melekler arasında bir ilişki kuruyorlar... Tabutun koruyuculuğunu da üstlenen melekler, ona dokunulmasına izin vermiyorlarmış.

Esrarengiz kapılar

Ayasofya'nın güney tarafında ufak ve dar bir koridorun ucunda örülmüş bir kapı var. Buna "açılmaz kapı" deniyor. Anlatılanlara göre Fatih Sultan Mehmet İstanbul'a girdiğinde Rum Ortodoks Patriği yanındakilerle bu kapının önünde dua ediyormuş.
Osmanlı ordusu kiliseye girince, Patrik bu kapıdan kaçıp kaybolmuş ve kapı bir daha açılmamış. Her paskalyada bu kapının önünde" kırmızı yumurta kabukları" ortaya çıkarmış...
Bir de "Kapanmaz Kapı" miti var. Fetih günü, Fatih'in ordusundan biri bu kapıya öyle bir vuruş vurmuş ki, kapı yere gömülmüş ve bir daha asla açılmamış...

Pençe nişanı
Binanın güneydoğusundaki kubbeyi tutan fil ayağının bir yüzünde 6 metre yükseklikte ele benzeyen bir iz var. Kuşaktan kuşağa anlatılanlara göre, fetih günü, Fatih Sultan Mehmet'in atı ürkmüş, Sultan eliyle bu kemere tutunmuş. Atı ise sütunun kaidesini zedelemiş. Buraya kadar bir şey yok. Ama pençe izinin yerden 6 metre yükseklikte olduğu ve bu yüksekliğe, hiçbir atın erişemeyeceği düşünülürse, olayın esrarı bir anda ortaya çıkıveriyor.

Gizli ayin
Bir başka olay Kanuni Sultan Süleyman döneminden. Gece bir derviş grubu camiye ibadet etmek için geliyormuş. Uzaktan Ayasofya' nın bütün ışıklarının yandığını görmüşler, içeriden ilahi sesleri geliyormuş.
Dervişler korkup içeri girmemişler, olay padişaha iletilmiş. Kanuni adamlarıyla bizzat gelmiş ve dışarıdan olayı aynen görmüş. Sonra içeri girilmesini emretmiş ama içeri girenler kimseyi bulamamışlar. Her yer kapkaranlıkmış. Bu da Ayasofya'nın, halk deyişiyle, pek tekin bir yer olmadığına işaret eden bir efsane...
Ayasofya'nın mucizelerinin sonu gelmiyor

Büyük kıble kapısının kanatlarının Nuh'un gemisinin tahtalarından yapıldığı bir diğer inanç. Eskiden deniz seferine çıkılmadan önce, yolcular bu kapıya gelir, dua eder ve Hz. Nuh'tan yardım dilerlermiş...
Ayasofya'nın hikâyesi bundan ibaret değil. Birçok defa yıkılıp, sonra yeniden yapılan bu güzel yapının tarihi, insanoğlunun Dünya'daki serüveninin küçük bir parçası sanki...

Diğer Gizler ve Efsaneler

Avarlar, Ayasofya’nın altınlarını alıyor
Avarlar, 575 yılında Roma’yı kuşatıyor ve Papa 1. Benedictus, fidye vererek kendini kurtarıyor. Ama Avarlar, 614-619 arasında bu kez İstanbul’u kuşatıyor. Patrik Sergius, Ayasofya’daki kutsal ama altından olan ne varsa erittirip para haline getirerek Avarlar’a veriyor. Avarlar, bir miktar da Bizanslı kadını alarak kuşatmayı kaldırıyor.

Arapları Meryem Ana püskürtüyor
714 yılında Araplar yine geliyor ve 718’e kadar kent muhasara altında kalıyor. Bu sırada imparator, “Herkes eline haç alsın, surların etrafında dolaşsın; bu bizi koruyacak” diyor. Patrik de “Meryem Ana ikonalarını alın ve dolaşın; asıl bu bizi koruyacak” diyor. Gerçekten de Meryem Ana’nın gebe kaldığı 15 Ağustos günü, Araplar kuşatmayı kaldırıyorlar. İmparatorun gücü sıfıra iniyor.

Hz. Muhammed’in tükürüğü Ayasofya’yı koruyor
Bizans sanatı konusunda sayılı uzmanlardan İngiliz Anthony White’ın aktardığına göre, Hz. Muhammed’in peygamber olduğu dönemde Ayasofya’nın küçük kubbelerinden biri çöküyor. Tamiratta başarısız olan Bizanslılar, Peygamber’e elçi gönderiyor ve “Yeniden yerine oturtabilmek için ne yapmalı?” diye soruyorlar. Hz. Peygamber özel taşlar, kum ve bir de kap içinde kendi tükürüğünü gönderiyor. Tükürük harca karıştırılıyor. O kubbeye bir daha hiçbir şey olmuyor.

Ortodokslarla Katolikler Ayasofya’da ayrılıyor
1054 yılında papanın temsilcisi Kardinal Humbold, patriğin yönettiği ayin sırasında Papa’nın patriği aforoz ettiğini bildiren fetvayı açıklıyor. Ayin bozuluyor, kargaşa çıkıyor. Böylelikle Ortodoks ve Katolik kilisesi, birbirine darılarak temelli ayrılmış oluyor. Ayrılık 911 yıl sürüyor. 1967’de 6. Paul, İstanbul’a gelerek dargınlığı sona erdiriyor.

Hristiyanların Kutsal Emanetleri çalınıyor
1204 yılında Haçlı orduları İstanbul’u yağmalarken Ayasofya’da ne kadar kutsal eser varsa hepsini kaçırıyor. Geçen yıl Vatikan, jest yaparak kutsal emanetlerden bazı bölümleri geri verdi.

Deisis Mozaiği’ndeki Hz. İsa değil
1264’te İstanbul, Haçlıların elinden kurtarılıyor. Bundan sonra, Ayasofya’nın içinde Deisis Mozaiği yapılıyor. Bu mozaikteki İsa figürü ABD’li araştırmacı Roberto Solarion’a göre, gerçekten İsa değil, Kemerhisarlı (Tyana’lı) Apollon. (Hatırlanacağı gibi Tempo Ocak 2005’te Aytunç Altındal’ın bu konuda bir kitap hazırladığını duyurmuştu. Kitap, nisan ayında piyasaya sürüldü.) Bunun ispatı ise mozaikteki İsa figürünün sağ kaşının üzerindeki yara izi. İz, 11 sayısına işaret ediyor. Pisagorcu tarikat üyesi Apollon’da da bu iz var. Figürün Apollon’a ait olmasının nedeni ise paganların Anadolu’da zorla Hıristiyanlaştırılırken, İsa’nın resmini yapar gibi görünseler de, Apollon’un resmini yapmaları.

Deisis Mozaiği’ndeki Meryem Ana değil
Mozaikteki Meryem figürü, ellerini İsa’ya doğru uzatmış vaziyette. Oysa Hıristiyan şeriatına göre yapılan resimlerde Meryem’in ellerinde İncil ya da İsa olması gerekiyor. Dolayısıyla bu figürdeki Meryem, ‘anne’ değil Mecdeli Meryem olarak da bilinen ve Hz. İsa’nın eşi olduğu varsayılan kadına ait.

Kutsal Kâse aslında Ayasofya
Kutsal Kâse, aslında Hz. İsa’nın içit kabı değil, ‘dişil prensip’i temsil ediyor. Bu prensibin adı ‘Sofya’. Yani Kutsal Kâse’nin kendisi Ayasofya ki, Hıristiyanlık inancına göre bütün kiliseler rahim örnek alınarak yapılıyor. Bunların en kutsalı da yani ‘Kutsal Kâse’ de Ayasofya.

Bizans’ın ilk gizli teşkilatı Ayasofya’da kuruluyor
Mikail Cellius adlı bir filozof, Bizans’ın ilk gizli teşkilatını Ayasofya’nın mahzenlerinde kuruyor. Aynı mahzenler, aynı zamanda Gnostik Hıristiyanların gizli kitabı Picatriks’in de çevirilerinin yapıldığı mekân.

İlk düz haç Ayasofya’da kullanılıyor
Hıristiyanlar, İmparator Jüstinyen döneminde Akhineton Haçı adı verilen şekli bırakıyor ve düz haç modeline geçiyor. Bu da ilk kez Ayasofya’da kullanılıyor.

Çapraz Haç’ın anlamı
Aziz Andre’nin üzerinde idam edildiği haç, çapraz formda. İstanbul’daki kilisenin kurucusu sayılan Aziz Andre’nin anısına tavana çapraz haç motifi işlenmiş.

Dandolo İstanbul’u alıyor ve ölüyorLatin komutan Henricus Dandolo, Papa’nın çağrısı üzerine İstanbul’u almak zorunda kalıyor. Bizanslıların tehdidi oldukça ilginç: Eğer bu kenti alırsan ölürsün. Dandolo kenti alıyor ve ölüyor. Mezarı halen Ayasofya’da.

Ayasofya kiliseye hiç ait olmadı
Ayasofya kilisenin malı değil. Çünkü mekân imparatora ait kabul ediliyor. Dolayısıyla 1453’te Fatih Sultan Mehmet de Ayasofya’nın değerini ödeyerek bir vakıfla kendi üzerine geçiriyor. Daha sonra da padişahların malı olarak devam ediyor.

Ayasofya’daki Hermetik semboller
Dört balık: Tavandaki dört balık sembolü aslında dört Gospel’e atıf. Balık, iman anlamına geliyor. Bu İsa’da bütünleşmiş olan imanı temsil ediyor.

Baklava
Bu şekil, eğer yuvarlak olsaydı kainat anlamına gelecekti. Oysa baklava motifi yeryüzü anlamına geliyor. Yeryüzünün merkezinde haç, haçın merkezinde de İsa var.

Mantra ve sekiz köşeli yıldız
Sekiz çeperli gül, aslında mantrayı temsil ediyor. Çevresindeki sekiz köşeli yıldız ise kainatın sekiz köşesi olduğunu gösteriyor. Bunlar asıl olarak paganik semboller.

Diğer Hermetik semboller
Daire, kainat anlamına geliyor, etrafında da minik noktalar var; onlar da yıldız demek. Bu, aynı zamanda şifa sembolü. Kenarlardaki defne dalları da Hermetik öğretiye ait. var. Aradaki haça benzer figürler de bir nevi Hermetik takıyye.

Vikingler de Ayasofya’da
İkinci kat balkonlarından birinde, Vikingler’e ait Rune alfabesiyle yazılmış yazılar bulunuyor. Bu en mistik yazı tarzlarından biri olan Elgir Rune’u. Aynı yazılardan, bodrumdaki mahzenlerde de var.

Ayasofya’ya ait efsaneler
Sekizinci sütun altında Hıristiyanlığın en büyük değerleri saklanıyor iddiası tamamen asılsız. Çünkü Haçlı orduları bunların hepsini çalmış. Hz. İsa’ya ait gerçek haça ait parçalar ise 640 yılında imparator Heraklios tarafından Kudüs’e gönderilmiş. Aynı şekilde mahzenlerin altındaki tünellerden Kınalı adaya kadar bir tünel uzandığıda söylenir...

Mozaiklerin Açıklamaları

Apsis Yarım Kubbesindeki Mozaik:

Altın zemin üzerinde ortada değerli taşlarla süslü tahta oturan Meryem, kucağında İsa ile birlikte tasvir edilmiştir. Meryem’in koyu lacivert renkte sade ve bütün vücudunu örten kıyafeti, etrafını çeviren altın zemin ile bir kontrast oluşturur.

Güney Galeride Deisis Mozaiği:

Ayasofya’nın mozaikleri arasında hiç kuşkusuz, en ünlüsü Deisis kompozisyonudur. Deisis, yani mahşer günü İsa’dan Meryem ve Loannes Prodromos’un insanlık için yardımcı olmasını dilemeleridir. Mahşer Kompozisyonunun ortasını meydana getiren üçlü kompozisyonda ortada büyük bir İsa ekseni teşkil eder. Üçlü grubun ikinci şahsı Meryem'dir. Diğer yanda ise Vaftizci Yahya bulunmaktadır.

Güney Galerideki İmparatoriçe Zoe Mozaiği:

Ortada Pantokrator (Kainatın hakimi) İsa, sağ eliyle takdis işareti yapmakta, sol eliyle incilerle bezenmiş cildi olan Kutsal Kitabı tutmaktadır. İsa’nın bir yanında imparatoriçe Zoe, diğer yanında Zoe’nin üçüncü kocası Konstantinos Monomakhos yer almaktadır. Bizans tarihinde entrikaları ve evlilikleriyle ün yapan imparatoriçe Zoe kocalarını değiştirdikçe mozaik üzerindeki imparatorun başı ve isminin belirten yazının da değiştiği sanılmaktadır. Konstantin’in kafası ve üstündeki yazıt kazınıp, tekrar yapılmıştır. Orijinal mozaik Zoe’nin ilk kocasına aitti. Bu panoda İmparatorluk ailesinin kiliseye şükran ve bağışları sembolize edilmektedir

Güney Galerideki Komnenos Ailesi Mozaiği:

İmparator Komnenos II ile eşi Macar asıllı İmparatoriçe İrene ve oğulları Aleksios’u tasvir etmektedir. Ortada kucağında İsa ile ayakta duran Meryem yer almaktadır. İmparator ve İmparatoriçe değerli taşlarla süslü tören elbiselerini giymişler, imparatorun elinde bir para kesesi, İmparatoriçe de bir rulo tutmaktadır. Takdim edilen rulo kiliseye bağışları, deri kese ise altın yardımını belirtmektedir. Macar asıllı imparatoriçenin ırk özellikleri; açık ten ve açık saç rengi belirgindir.

Güney-Batı Girişi Üstünde Bulunan Mozaik:

Altın zemin üzerinde ortada görkemli bir taht üzerinde oturur durumda koyu lacivert elbiseli Meryem tasvir edilmiştir. Başının iki yanında bulunan kısaltılmış harfler “Tanrı Anası” olduğunu ifade eden kelimelerin kısaltılmış semboludur. Meryem ayakları altındaki kenarları değerli taşlarla bezenmiş bir kaide üzerine basar. Bu kaidenin üst yüzü gümüş mozaiklerle kaplıdır. Bizans sanatında altın mozaiklerlerin bol olmasına karşılık, gümüş mozaikler son derece azdır. Meryem’in kucağında oturan İsa yetişkin, bilgiç bir insan ifadesine sahiptir. Bu onun Tanrıya yakın bir mistik varlık olduğunu gösterir.

İki yanda bulunan imparator figürlerinden biri İstanbul’un kurucusu Büyük Konstantin ve elinde sunduğu maket bir şehir semboludur. Etrafını surların çevirdiği bu şehrin Byzantion yanı İstanbul olduğu kolaylıkla anlaşılır. Ayasofya maketini sunan da Justinyen’dir.

İmparator Kapısı Üzerindeki Mozaik:

Bu mozaik pano 9. yüzyıl sonunda yapılmıştır. Ortada son derece süslü taşlar ve incilerle süslenmiş taht üzerinde oturmuş Pantokrator İsa bir kaide üzerine basmaktadır. Sağ eli takdis işareti yapmakta, sol eliyle dizi üzerinde açık duran bir kitabı tutmaktadır. İsa’nın ayakları önünde secde eder durumda imparator altıncı Leon şefaat isterken görülür . İki kenardaki madalyonların birinde Meryem tasvir edilmiştir. Diğerinde ise lilisenin koruyucusu baş melek Cebrail tasvir edilmiştir.

Melek Tasvirli Mozaikler:

Kubbeye geçişi sağlayan köşe elemanlarının yüzeylerinde yalnız kafa ve kanatlardan ibaret olan dört melek tasviri yer alır.

10 Trips For Students

2012-07-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

WORKAWAY WORLDWIDE

The Workaway scheme matches volunteers with hosts around the world: private individuals needing help at home, farmers, tourism business owners – anyone who needs a hand. After paying the €22 registration fee it's up to you to contact the hosts and make arrangements (the standard exchange is five hours work a day in return for food and board). You could end up helping an eco farming collective establish a "sea gypsy tribe" in Norway; labouring on an agriturismo that makes limoncello in Sorrento, southern Italy; mucking in at a backpackers' hostel in rural Colombia ... the list is wildly varying and massively tempting, and you get to truly engage in the culture and community you're staying with.

IBIZA

Ibiza is for late nights, long mornings and salty eyelashes. After a breakfast of melon and coffee at Hostel Talamanca, we took to the streets of Ibiza old town, wandering through patchy heat, hiding in whitewashed shade and drinking cola through a straw.

The best memories are of scrambling down to the sea from the summit of the old town and launching into a deep pool. Water in the shade is much colder than it looks.

CORNWALL

On the north coast of Cornwall, Bude offers sun, sea and abundant surf for students on a budget. Bude Holiday Park (budeholidaypark.co.uk) is a short walk from the town centre, and tent pitches are a steal at only £8.70 per person per night in high season. The two main beaches, Summerleaze and Crooklets, both have broad sands and great surf. A half-day surf lesson with Atlantic Pursuits (+44 (0)1288 321765, atlanticpursuits.co.uk) costs £25 and is all you need to get started. There is also a sea pool at the foot of the sandstone cliffs at Summerleaze and there are some great coastal walks close by too. Life's a Beach bistro (lifesabeach.info) on top of the cliffs is the perfect place to unwind at the end of the day – sit on the veranda and watch the scarlet sun set while enjoying an evening meal.

MACEDONIA

Although Skopje, the underwhelming capital of Macedonia offers little to non-historians, the country's most popular destination, Lake Ohrid, is just hours away. When those hours are spent speeding through the majestic and rugged countryside by train, the ethereal folk songs of local women ringing in your ears, the journey is hard to forget. This Unesco world heritage site caters to all tastes and moods; spend a slow day lakeside pretending not to be impressed by the religious tolerance and harmony on display with mosques and churches strewn throughout the town and try not to salivate while tucking into the ubiquitous kebapi (kebab), which may whet your appetite for a night of intoxication. Climb aboard a boat party with the only other guests here – hedonistic Bulgarian and Albanians – and take in the stunning backdrop of the Galicica national park as it fades to black with another perfect sunset.

HAMBURG

Hamburg is perfect for cheap travel. Most of Hamburg's best nightspots – the Funky Pussy Club (funkypussyclub.de), the uber-hip Golden Pudel (pudel.com) – are accessible by river, and boat rides (included in a daily travel pass: €9.60 for up to five people) run on the Elbe till midnight – with onboard drinking allowed. The Kunstverein gallery (kunstverein.de), open till 3am, is the bohemian hub of Hamburg. The gallery prides itself on a smoky, drunken atmosphere, complemented by the most attractive male staff in Germany. And if, like me, you quickly tire of red wine, it's only a 10-minute stagger to the Strand Pauli club: a recreated Caribbean beach on the Elbe, complete with real sand, beach huts and a huge outdoor dancefloor. Hamburg also boasts the quirky Miniature Wonderland museum (miniatur-wunderland.com, adults £12, students €9) with its 12,000 metres of miniature train track.

ECUADOR

Ecuador is considered one of the best places to learn Spanish in Latin America because of the clear accent and low prices. I enjoyed my stay at Quito's Secret Garden Hostel, a place that is quite rightly proud of its terrace's panoramic views over the historical centre and the Andes beyond. It has its own Spanish school and if you have more time you can apply for its one-month volunteer programme, where you work in the hostel in exchange for a bed, food, drinks, 10 hours of Spanish lessons and one night at its sister hostel by Cotopaxi volcano. Demand to work at this eco-aware hostel is understandably high, but it also has links with other organisations in the area, so you can also consider working on local environmental projects or helping conserve rare Andean bears.

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

The tiny, central Budapest Bubble (Brody Sandor utca 2), housed in an old building, is more like a home than a hostel. You're better off staying on the Pesta side for a relaxed yet vibrant atmosphere that attracts masses of friendly international students.

While many students will associate summer in Budapest with the Sziget music festival, the Hungarian capital itself has more than enough on offer to be a destination in its own right. The city is famous for its ruin pubs with their arty, underground atmosphere in hidden courtyards. Szimpla (Kazinczy utca 1, szimpla.hu) is the most popular. The Corvinteto Club on top of the Soviet-style Corvin department store (Blaha Lujzater 1-2, corvinteto.hu) is well-known for its reggae and dubstep nights and its rooftop bar.

CUBA

Havana's glorious crumbling architecture and Caribbean sunshine are obviously a big draw, but it's the vibrancy of the people that really makes Cuba special. So when the taxi driver pulled over on the side of the road and demanded to teach me salsa, all I could do was go with it. A great way to get a feel for the country and get close to the people (and also travel cheaply and eat good Cuban food) is to stay with local families in casa particulares – cuba-junky.com is a useful site that lists many of them.

ROMANIA

Transylvania's gloomy literary associations belie the fact that it's the perfect destination for a summer break with guaranteed sunshine and lively settlements nestling in the foothills of the Carpathians. Interrailing around western Europe is an increasingly expensive option for the skint student but Romanian Railways (cfr.ro) will carry you between the area's historic cities for under £10 on creaking communist-era rolling stock. Fly to the university city of Cluj-Napoca on WizzAir (from £54 return from Luton) and you'll find a centre filled with bars and clubs such as Insomnia (Strada Universitatii), a converted apartment attached to a small art gallery. It serves cheap beer to a bohemian crowd who will point you in the direction of the city's other clubs.

SCOTLAND

Hot weather is better in Scotland. All that gorse and turf gets gently cooked and starts to steam, wafting the smell of hot foliage over water and land.

Stuart and Ben, who met us off the train in Fort William, were our guides through two days and a night of kayaking in the wild.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2011/apr/26/summer-holiday-ideas-students-budget

Hachi: A Dog's Tale

2012-06-26T05:00:00.000-07:00

Based on a true story from Japan, Hachiko Monogatari ハチ公物語 (literally “The Tale of Hachiko”) is a film about loyalty and the rare, invincible bonds that occasionally form almost instantaneously in the most unlikely places. In the modern day, a class full of young students are giving oral presentations about personal heroes. A boy named Ronnie (Kevin DeCoste) stands up and begins to tell of 'Hachiko', his grandfather's dog. Years before, an Akita puppy is sent from Japan to the United States, but his cage falls off the baggage cart at an American train station, where he is found by college professor Parker Wilson (Richard Gere). Parker is instantly captivated by the dog. When Carl (Jason Alexander), the station controller, refuses to take him, Parker takes the puppy home overnight. His wife Cate (Joan Allen) is insistent about not keeping the puppy. The next day Parker expects that someone will have contacted the train station, but no one has. He sneaks the pup onto the train and takes him to work, where a Japanese college professor, Ken (Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa), translates the symbol on the pup's collar as 'Hachi', Japanese for 'good fortune', and the number 8. Parker decides to call the dog 'Hachi'. Ken points out that perhaps the two are meant to be together. Parker attempts to play fetch with Hachi, but he refuses to join in. Meanwhile Cate receives a call about someone wanting to adopt Hachi. After seeing how close her husband has come to Hachi, however, Cate tells the caller that Hachi has already been adopted. A few years later, Hachi and Parker are as close as ever. Parker, however, is still mystified by Hachi's refusal to do normal, dog-like things like chase and retrieve a ball. Ken advises him that Hachi will only bring him the ball for a special reason. One morning, Parker leaves for work and Hachi sneaks out and follows him to the train station, where he refuses to leave until Parker walks him home. That afternoon, Hachi sneaks out again and walks to the train station, waiting patiently for Parker's train to come in. Eventually Parker relents and walks Hachi to the station every morning, where he leaves on the train. Hachi leaves after Parker's safe departure, but comes back in the afternoon to see his master's train arrive and walk with him home again. This continues for some time, until one afternoon Parker attempts to leave, but Hachi barks and refuses to go with him. Parker eventually leaves without him, but Hachi chases him, holding his ball. Parker is surprised but pleased that Hachi is finally willing to play fetch the ball with him. Worried that he will be late for the college, Professor Parker leaves on the train despite Hachi barking at him. At work that day Parker, still holding Hachi's ball, is teaching his music class when he suddenly suffers a fatal heart attack. At the train station, Hachi waits patiently as the train arrives, but there is no sign of Parker. He remains, lying in the snow, for several hours, until Parker's son-in-law Michael (Ronnie Sublett) comes to collect him.

The next day, Hachi returns to the station and waits, remaining all day and all night. As time passes, Cate sells the house and Hachi is sent to live with her daughter Andy (Sarah Roemer), Michael, and their new baby Ronnie. However, at the first opportunity, he escapes and eventually finds his way back to his old house and then to the train station, where he sits at his usual spot, eating hot dogs given to him by Jasjeet (Erick Avari), a local vendor. Andy arrives soon after and takes him home, but lets him out the next day to return to the station. For the next nine years, Hachi waits for his owner. His loyalty is profiled in the local newspaper. Years after Parker's death, Cate comes back to visit Parker's grave when she catches sight of Hachi, now old and achy, waiting at the station. She gets emotional and sits next to Hachi until the next train comes. Hachi returns to the train station late at night and closes his eyes for the last time. Then, Parker walks out of the station and greets him as if nothing has changed at all, and the two reunite as their spirits rise up to Heaven to be together forever. The film then shows Ronnie, back in his classroom, making his conclusion of why Hachi will forever be his hero. Ronnie's story has clearly moved the class, with some holding back tears. The boy after school sees his own Akita puppy, also named Hachi, to walk down the same tracks where Parker and Hachi spent so many years together. The closing cards reveal information about the real Hachikō, who was born in Ōdate in 1923. After the death of his owner, Hidesaburo Ueno, in 1925, Hachikō returned to the Shibuya train station the next day and every day after that for the next nine years. The final card reveals that the real Hachikō died in 1934 (in fact, he died in 1935). A photo of his statue in the Shibuya train station is the last image shown before the credits roll.

LOVE

2012-06-07T14:30:00.003-07:00

In any field you are into, what in life without heartbreak you can’t find love

In those days i speak with you through my eyes, i saw love in you eyes and that fantastic feeling

There is nothing of great importance like loving some one who love you the way you are

I can tell you that “i love you” but no matter how much times I tell you or show you

I will always love you beyond more

I never stoped loving you but i stoped showing it to you

You may not be able to touch love, but you can feel it even when it hurts

I know that you don’t share the same feelings as me, but everyday, just hearing your voice, seeing your smile, is enough for me to keep going on in life

You can be you and I can be me and some how together we will be you and me

Love is the center of the universe not the sun

MADONNA

2012-06-06T12:30:00.004-07:00

Madonna arrived in Istanbul, Turkey last night with an army entourage and heavy equipment. She is set to perform a concert on Thursday June 7at Istanbul’s Turk Telecom Arena as the 3rd concert of her MDNA World tour 2012.

Istanbul – NationalTurk – 3 airplanes carried Madonna and the queen of pop’s 200 person army of entourage, including her children and their nanny. A red carpet was spread out for the superstar and Madonna was immediately surrounded by heavy security at the Ataturk Airport Istanbul.

Madonna ‘s equipment for her 3rd concert of MDNA World Tour 2012 was loaded then on to trucks that were waiting at the Istanbul airport, as the superstar herself moved on to the hotel.

Turkey welcomes Madonna , the one and only Queen of Pop!

Madonna’s plane was originally destined for Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen airport, but plans changed when a special permit was issued for the plane to land at Atatürk Airport.
Madonna will perform at Türk Telekom Arena in Istanbul on June 7 as part of her Madonna World Tour 2012. Madonna will be touring for the first time in three years and Madonna Istanbul Concert 2012 will be her second concert in Turkey after 19 years.

VENUS

2012-06-05T12:51:00.002-07:00

7 Days Ago

6 Days Ago

5 Days Ago

Venus is known as Earths' twin sister because of its similar size and proximity to each other.

Its atmosphere is made up mostly of carbon dioxide.

Venus rotates so slowly that it orbits the sun faster than it can make one whole rotation on its axis. In other words, Venus has a longer day than year.

It takes 243 days for Venus to make a rotation.

And it takes 224 days for Venus to orbit around the sun.

Venus is the most widely explored planet aside from our own Earth. Numerous space probes have been sent to Venus to gather data and some have landed on the surface.

It is believed that Venus used to have bodies of water similar to Earth, but dried up over a period of 300 million years when the sun began admitting more solar energy after the sun's infancy stage.

The clouds of Venus is filled with sulfuric acid.

Venus has mountains that are higher than Earth. Maat Mons is more than 5 miles high.

Venus is the brightest planet viewed from Earth.

The planet rotates from East to West. The only other planet that does this is Uranus.

http://www.space.com/14568-venus-transits-sun-2012-skywatching.html

Müzikte Entellektüel Karmaşıklık

2012-05-31T06:10:00.001-07:00

Karmaşık şeylerin güzel olduğunu düşünmek bana göre insanların ortak yanılgısıdır. Karmaşıklığa karşı çıkmak bilinçli bir tercihtir. Aslında zor olanı seçmektir. Çünkü “az” olanla “çok” şey yapmaya çalışmaktır. Entelektüel karmaşıklığa karşı olmak bir sadeliktir ama basitlik değildir. Sade olanın en saf halini derinlemesine anlamaya çalışmaktır. Aslında gelenekselliğin zıttı olan modernlikten bahsediyoruz; sade ve şık duranından. Daha az karmaşıklık ama daha fazla keşfedişlerden…

Entelektüel karmaşıklığa karşı çıkmak insanların yeni bakış açılarına ihtiyacı olduğunu gösterir. Evinize aldığınız hediyelik eşya veya bir biblonun süslü püslü ve çarpıcı durmasını istemekten ziyade nerede-nasıl durduğuna bakmaya başlıyorsunuz. Evinize gelen misafirin zihin karmaşıklığını ortadan kaldırmak istiyorsunuz. Diğer bir deyişle, eski kavramları tartışmaya açıp sorgulayarak yeni kavramlara ulaşmak, yeni keşfedişlere ve arayışlara yöneliyorsunuz. Teknolojinin ilerlediği bir dünyada, her şeyin ve herkesin sürekli geliştiği bir ortamda yeni perspektiflere ihtiyaç duymak kaçınılmaz oluyor haliyle. Bu yüzden belki de evinizdeki tüm bibloları ortadan kaldıracaksınız.

Sadelikte, insanlara kendi kendilerine keşfetme şansı vermiş olursunuz. Entelektüel karmaşıklıktan arınmış bir müziği ortaya koyduğunuzda ve kişi onu dinlediğinde onu yoğurur, ona biçim verir ve bunu her dinleyişinde farklı bir hamur olarak ortaya çıkartır.

Love is Universal

2012-05-29T10:49:00.002-07:00

Come, come again, whoever you are, come!

Heathen, fire worshipper or idolatrous, come!

Come even if you broke your penitence a hundred times,

Ours is the portal of hope, come as you are.

If I love myself, I love you.

If I love you, I love myself.

You have been a prisoner of a little pond

I am the ocean and its turbulent flood

Come merge with me

leave this world of ignorance

If your heart isn't yet illumined

Be awake always, be a seeker of the heart,

Be at war continually with your carnal soul.

But if your heart is already awakened,

Sleep peacefully, sleep in the arms of Love

Mevlana Celaleddin Rumi

http://www.mevlana.net/