Tasty House of Hay Beckons Diners

tasty links to original article

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 30 October 2012)

Tasty house (left) and would-be diners

The building constructed of bales of hay in Şahmuratlı
village of Sorgun district in Yozgat has been fenced off
with barbed wire to pevent donkeys and cows from eating
it. The building houses the Kerkenesi and Şahmuratlı
Village Information and Beautification Association.

Sabri Erciyas, a member of the association's board, explained
that architect Francoise Summers, the wife of archeologist
Geoffrey Summers who came to Sorgun in 1993 to conduct
excavations on Kerkenes Mountain, initiated the project to
promote organic life in the village she visited each summer.
Erciyas said that Ms. Summers idea was inspired by the
bales of hay prepared in the village to feed the animals and
that she wanted to build a house that would be warm in
winter yet cool during the summer.

Erciyas stated that 'the Association's building was constructed
of 1000 bales of hay in 2005 but there aren't any ties between
the bales, just brick putty. The building isn't affected by earthquakes
and at first everything went well. But after the rain the putty
dissolves and then the donkeys and cows began to eat the house.
So that's why we put up the barbed wire fence.'

Death Notice Premature

angel of death links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 29 October 2012)

Mehmet Pinar, angel of death

In Altinova, Antalya, Mehmet Pinar (53) and his
friend Alim Karik (33) conspired to play a practical
joke on Pinar's uncle Cemil Atlay (64), the former
village chief. The two friends tricked the neighborhood's
imam into reading Atlay's death notice.

When they heard the notice read from the mosque,
Atlay's wife and sister fainted and his children and
grandchildren began to cry. Various friends and
relatives came to Atlay's home to pay their respects.
Atlay finally heard the news by phone while he was
in the town center, from relations who didn't believe
the death notice.

Atlay filed a complaint against Pinar and Karik, who
were found guilty by the Antalya Third Court of First
Instance and given a 2.5 month jail sentence for
'disturbing a person's peace of mind.'  The judge then
suspended the sentence but Atlay opened a civil suit
against the two friends for pain and suffering, asking
for 20,000 TL from each of them.

Doomsday Rescue Point's Hotels Full

doomsday links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 28 October 2012)

Starbase II (Sirince)

Those who believe that disaster will strike on
21 December 2012, according to the Mayan
calendar, have reinvigorated the town of
Sirince in Izmir's Selcuk district. Each year
the village usually sees a sharp downturn in
tourism during the Christmas season but this
year, because of the flow of those awaiting
'disaster', it's 100% full.

An organization known as "Blue Energy Group"
thinks that only Sirince and Bugarach, a village
in the south of France, will not be affected by
the calamity. According to the group's belief,
a (space) ship will come to Sirince and rescue
all the people there, taking them to a safe place
to avoid the disaster.

Engin Vatan, the owner of Mistik Konaklari
(Mystic Mansions) in Sirince, said that "the
demand for 2012 end-of-year reservations started at
the beginning of the year. Foreigners from around
the world are rushing here."  The manager of Erdem
Konaklari (Mansions of Virtue) in Sirince, Mustafa
Yildirdi, added that "the number of tourists has
increased. Most of our rooms have been sold."

Facebook Hubris Costs Hunters Plenty

facebook links to original article

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 23 October 2012)

Facebook famous but poorer for it.

In Sanliurfa, E.K.,B.K. and K.H. went
hunting together and they put pictures and
videos of the wild geese, ducks and quail
they bagged on Facebook.

However, citizens who saw these notified
the Directorate of Forests and Water Affairs,
which determined that the three hunters did
not have hunting licenses, fining them 1456 TL.

Additionally, another 25,950 TL fine was
levied against the three hunters, based on the
value of the animals they killed. Notification
of the total fine - 27,406 TL - was sent to the
addresses of the three friends.

B-Movie Scenario Plays Out in Izmir

murder links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 20 October 2012)

Femme fatale Z.G. & cohorts

In Bayrakli district of Izmir, coffee shop owner
Serkan B. and four other people, including one
woman, cooked up a fraud scenario that could
pose a challenge to Hollywood movies. Serkan B.
learned that auto repairman Murat M., his workplace
neighbor, had come into an inheritance from a
relative.

According to their plan, a young woman named Z.G.
brought her car to Murat M.'s shop on the pretext
that there was a problem with it. Next, Baran A.A.
came to the shop and claimed that Murat M. had
sexually harassed his wife Z.G. Baran A.A. heaped
threats on Murat M. prompting supposed good-neighbor
Serkan B. to step in and defend Murat M.

Serkan B. invited Baran A.A.to come to a deserted
mountain area in Bornova to 'settle the score', along
with Murat M. Once there gunfire was exchanged and
Baran A.A. seemingly fell dead. Escaping from the
'murder scene' the gang members demanded and got
money from Murat M. because 'you participated in
the murder.'

Subsequently, Murat M. complained to the the police
and eight gang members were arrested, to include
('the late') Baran A.A., (good-neighbor) Serkan B.,
Ilhami B. and Mehmet C.G.

TV Show Terrorizes Brazil's Grid

brazil links to original article

//ed. note: yet another non-Turkey-centric item deemed blog-worthy by our
editorial board//

(Hurriyet Newspaper, 20 October 2012)

TV terrorist heading for the fridge

Last night's  broadcast of the final episode of a
much-loved TV show in Brazil prompted the
nation's public electric utility to go into crisis
mode days earlier. The utility, Brazil Electrical
Energy Management Council, warned all electricity
production and distribution companies prior to the
broadcast of "Avenida Brasil" (Brazil Avenue) to
take measure to prevent the collapse of the electrical
grid on Friday night. A utility official said that "if
everyone turns on their lights and TV and attacks their
refrigerators and ovens the net will break down."

'Special Night' Incentive Proves Fruitless

pink links to original article

//ed. note: our blog is Turkey-centric but exceptions are made for worthy causes//

(Hürriyet Newspaper, 21 October 2012)

Pretty in pink

Amateur football clubs in Greece are signing
different sponsorship agreements these days
in the economically-strapped country, to include
one with a house of ill repute for material and
'morale' support. The footballers of Voukefalas
club, which is sponsored by one such 'house',
are getting nearly 1,000 Euros to wear pink
uniforms with the advertisement 'Villa Erotica'
emblazoned on them.

A perhaps more interesting aspect of the deal
is that the players get an added incentive to win -
a 'special night'. Nevertheless, this promise from
the house's owner Soula Alevridou has not remedied
the team's losing ways.