Mustafa Kemal Ataturk

Truly a great man

The Turks know the score, if the rest of the world were like the Turks,there would be less problems

Turks protest Islamic-rooted government

BENJAMIN HARVEY, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 3 minutes ago

ISTANBUL, Turkey - At least 300,000 Turks waving the red national flag flooded central Istanbul on Sunday to demand the resignation of the government, saying the Islamic roots of Turkey's leaders threatened to destroy the country's modern foundations.

Like the protesters — who gathered for the second large anti-government demonstration in two weeks — Turkey's powerful secular military has accused Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of tolerating radical Islamic circles.

"They want to drag Turkey to the dark ages," said 63-year-old Ahmet Yurdakul, a retired government employee who attended the protest.

More than 300,000 people took part in a similar rally in Ankara two weeks ago.

Sunday's demonstration was organized more than a week ago, but it came a day after Erdogan's government rejected the military's warning about the disputed presidential election and called it interference that is unacceptable in a democracy.

The ruling party candidate, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, failed to win a first-round victory Friday in a parliamentary presidential vote marked by tensions between secularists and the pro-Islamic government. Most opposition legislators boycotted the vote and challenged its validity in the Constitutional Court.

The military said Friday night that it was gravely concerned and indicated it was willing to become more openly involved in the process — a statement some interpreted as an ultimatum to the government to rein in officials who promote Islamic initiatives.

Sunday's crowd chanted that the presidential palace was "closed to imams."

Some said Parliament Speaker Bulent Arinc was an enemy of the secular system, because he said the next president should be "pious."

In the 1920s, with the Ottoman Empire in ruins, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk imposed Western laws, replaced Arabic script with the Latin alphabet, banned Islamic dress and granted women the right to vote.

The ruling party, however, has supported religious schools and tried to lift the ban on Islamic head scarves in public offices and schools. Secularists are also uncomfortable with the idea of Gul's wife, Hayrunisa, being in the presidential palace because she wears the traditional Muslim head scarf.

"We don't want a covered woman in Ataturk's presidential palace," said Ayse Bari, a 67-year-old housewife. "We want civilized, modern people there."

The military, one of the most respected institutions in Turkey, regards itself as the guardian of the secular system and has staged three coups since 1960.

"Neither Sharia, nor coup but fully democratic Turkey," read a banner carried by a demonstrator on Sunday.

oooooh

this looks marvy stardust

This & That

Slipped in the shower yesterday morning, leaning out to get the towel and zoop, down I go. The side of the tub folded me up like a lawn chair. Too bad I did not hit in a way I actually bend. Landed right on my hip and you know what?
It hurt.
A lot.
Now I have a great big heamatoma were my belt rides, ahh the fun never stops.

This is one of the all time funniest movies ever- Hot Fuzz
Saw it last night and did i laugh, what a brilliant movie, a little gory too but brutally entertaining from opening to ending credits. Highly recommended.

Rented Curse of the Golden Flower, beautifully shot and a pretty twisted story line.

I also would like to see this documentary about Ralph Nader, looks very very interesting

having a threesome

me , a squat rack and 405 pounds

A THREESOME OF PAIN-BOOYA

speaking of pain, saw the movie Pathfinder last night. Find a path somewhere else because it was craaaaap and I mean that in the nastiest sense.



this guy pissed of the backhoe operator
bad idea

yeah baby

took 405 for a ride today whilst squatting.
it went up, it was a hard single but it went up
10 people int he facility, 9 on cardio equipment.
got a dirty look from an older guy in the cardio section when I clanked the weight as I was loading another disc onto the bar.
jealousy will get him no where.