January 10, 2013

In Focus: Wintry Weather: Middle East Edition

Following up on yesterday’s essay Wintry Weather, I was struck by photographs of the unusually heavy winter storm that just blanketed many Middle Eastern countries in snow. I discovered a wide range of unique images, from Saudis tossing snowballs to Israelis on sleds to the newly white roofs of Istanbul. Gathered here are a handful of those images, showing that, despite the harshness of the storm, some were able to find a moment of joy in the rare snowfall.

See more. [Images: AP, Reuters, Getty]

3:54pm
(Notes: 133)
  
Filed under: Winter Photography Syria Palestine Jordan Israel Turkey 
November 21, 2012
A Visual History of Presidents Petting Turkeys [Images: AP]

A Visual History of Presidents Petting Turkeys

[Images: AP]

4:39pm
(Notes: 282)
  
Filed under: Thanksgiving Food Politics Turkey President Photography 
November 21, 2012
The Perfect Thanksgiving Music, Sung by One Human … and 300 Turkeys I don’t want to get into semiotics of the annual turkey pardon (Justin E.H. Smith, a philsopher at Montreal’s Concordia University, did that much better last year anyway), but let me suggest that there are better ways of humanizing turkeys than incorporating them into our criminal-justice system (not known for its humanizing effects). There’s even a better — a more festive, convivial — way to humanize them while still celebrating Thanksgiving with them. That way, of course, is singing with them. Singing with turkeys. Click to listen. [Image: Reuters]

The Perfect Thanksgiving Music, Sung by One Human … and 300 Turkeys

I don’t want to get into semiotics of the annual turkey pardon (Justin E.H. Smith, a philsopher at Montreal’s Concordia University, did that much better last year anyway), but let me suggest that there are better ways of humanizing turkeys than incorporating them into our criminal-justice system (not known for its humanizing effects). There’s even a better — a more festive, convivial — way to humanize them while still celebrating Thanksgiving with them.

That way, of course, is singing with them. Singing with turkeys.

Click to listen. [Image: Reuters]

11:41am
(Notes: 61)
  
Filed under: Thanksgiving Turkey Music Technology 
October 26, 2011
Deadly Earthquake in Turkey Last Sunday, October 23, a shallow but powerful earthquake struck Eastern Turkey in the early afternoon, destroying more than 2,000 buildings and shaking the ground for hundreds of miles. The magnitude 7.2 quake was centered near the city of Van, close to the border with Iran, with the greatest destruction occurring in the nearby town of Ercis. To date, at least 432 people are confirmed to have been killed and another 1,350 injured. Rescue workers have already saved dozens from the rubble, including a two-week-old baby, her mother, and her grandmother earlier today. Collected here are images from eastern Turkey as rescue work continues and tens of thousands of survivors now find themselves homeless. Above: Yunus, a 13-year-old earthquake survivor, waits for to be freed from under a collapsed building by rescue workers in Ercis, Turkey, early October 24, 2011. (Reuters/Umit Bektas) See more photos at In Focus

Deadly Earthquake in Turkey

Last Sunday, October 23, a shallow but powerful earthquake struck Eastern Turkey in the early afternoon, destroying more than 2,000 buildings and shaking the ground for hundreds of miles. The magnitude 7.2 quake was centered near the city of Van, close to the border with Iran, with the greatest destruction occurring in the nearby town of Ercis. To date, at least 432 people are confirmed to have been killed and another 1,350 injured. Rescue workers have already saved dozens from the rubble, including a two-week-old baby, her mother, and her grandmother earlier today. Collected here are images from eastern Turkey as rescue work continues and tens of thousands of survivors now find themselves homeless.

Above: Yunus, a 13-year-old earthquake survivor, waits for to be freed from under a collapsed building by rescue workers in Ercis, Turkey, early October 24, 2011. (Reuters/Umit Bektas)

See more photos at In Focus

9:39am
(Notes: 26)
  
Filed under: news photography in focus international turkey 
October 19, 2011
Kurdish Militant Attacks in Turkey Leaves Dozens Dead

Dozens of police and military personel in Turkey have been killed in overnight attacks thought to have been carried out by Iraq-based Kurdish separatists—and Turkey’s response has been shift, both verbally and physically. Although news outlets right now can’t seem to agree on the number of causalities at the moment—The New York Times is reporting at least 24 are dead with 18 others injured while Al Jazeera says at least 26 have died—Turkey’s president, Abdullah Gul, decided not to mince words, telling reporters: ”No one should forget that those who make us suffer this pain will be made to suffer even stronger … They will see that the vengeance for these attacks will be immense.” The nation’s military response followed suit: troops are moving to pursue those who carried out the attacks, which occurred in various locations in the southeaster part of the country near the Iraqi border, with both air and ground units deployed. 

8:50am
(Notes: 16)
  
Filed under: international news turkey 
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