Month: October 2012

The “Secret” Formula for Happiness: Not Desiring What is Undesirable

13 October 2012

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the Courage to change the things that I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Reinhold Niebuhr This brilliant prayer, originally written by the American theologian and philosopher Reinhold Niebuhr and curiously adopted by Alcoholics Anonymous and other twelve-step programs, grants … More The “Secret” Formula for Happiness: Not Desiring What is Undesirable

Let’s Vomit It: Disgust, Purity, and Hate

11 October 2012

I found in a rare book, written by my uncle Mehmet Koç in 1964, a striking quotation of a public statement on a train wreck by an “unknown” state official in Turkey: Citizens, regrettably, our nighty three citizens passed away in the deplorable train wreck last night. Our sorrow is overwhelming. Our only consolation is … More Let’s Vomit It: Disgust, Purity, and Hate

Uncharted Territory: Understanding the Tuaregs-Turkish Review

09 October 2012

Ahmet Özcan, “Uncharted Territory: Understanding the Tuaregs”, Turkish Review, Vol. 2/5, September 2012, pp. 116-119. In association with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), the Association of Researchers on the Middle East and Africa (ORDAF) organized an international conference in Istanbul on June 23, 2012 on the African Nomads known … More Uncharted Territory: Understanding the Tuaregs-Turkish Review