The early parts of this book by Nicole and Hugh Pope are quite engaging. Turkey is described as a very popular tourist destination, and one couple we know said it was their favorite of several stops on their recent cruise. I recommend the book for people either interested in the country or who intend to visit. I challenge anyone to read the first page and not be intrigued. The authors say, “We still find it hard to pin down precisely when we fell in love with Turkey.” They then go through a list of endearing moments such as when a “…mustachioed fierce Turk’s face melted into an open and loving smile at the sight of a small baby.” Another is about the taxi driver who was a complete stranger but offered a loan to travelers finding themselves with no money at the end of a long ride. Other moments are not as comforting. A Turkish soldier who had gone out of his way to help strangers on a rainy night proudly said he was in charge of his unit’s torture section. There are other references to the reputation for brutality. The movie Midnight Express about the horrors experienced by an American in Turkish prisons after being arrested trying to smuggle drugs is a lasting contributor to the negative image of the country. Continue reading
Author Archives: RF_Alum
Pig in a Poke
The Phrase Finder explains that that the expression refers to an “…offering or deal that is foolishly accepted without being examined first. The expression is part of British commercial law “caveat emptor”—which is Latin for “let the buyer beware.” The expression has been around for over five hundred years and is a warning that you should check the bag (poke) to verify that you are really buying a pig and not an animal of lesser quality. As a bonus, the expression is also the origin of “letting the cat out of the bag.”
Third Anniversary for Rocky Flats Facts Web Site
The most important news about the web site as we have passed the third anniversary of the launch is that there is now a partner writing commentaries, book reviews, and explanations of the origins of expressions. There were a few commentaries and reviews provided by guest writers in the first couple of years, but Kate Rauner, writing under the tag line “Ponderer,” has provided a significant portion of the content in the last year. Her posts have provided a nice expansion in subjects and opinions. I recommend Kate’s fun and interesting science fiction book, “Glitch.” You can see my review of that book on Amazon.
We launched this web site in November 2010 with the primary purpose of providing the free on line book “An Insider’s View of Rocky Flats, Urban Myths Debunked.” The book has had a few thousand people view it on line and several hundred copies have been sold on Amazon. There are eleven reviews on Amazon with an average rating of three and one half stars. Continue reading
A Bee in Your Bonnet
The Phrase Finder writes that the expression indicates someone is obsessed with an idea and is in a state of agitation that someone would demonstrate if they did have a bee in their bonnet. There was an earlier expression “to have bees in one’s head” that was recorded from the 16th century. The first citation of the eventual expression located by the Phrase Finder was in “…the Reverend Phillip Doddridge Letters, 1790…”
Constitutionality of Obamcare
President Obama admitted at the health care summit he convened in 2010 that there would be people who would lose their existing health insurance coverage. He admitted that when he was challenged by Eric Cantor that some people would not be able to keep the policies they had selected, and he casually dismissed the question. The following is a transcript of that exchange:
Eric Cantor said, “Because I don’t think you can answer the question in the positive to say that people will be able to maintain their coverage, people will be able to see the doctors they want, in the kind of bill that you are proposing.”
Mr. Obama’s response was, “Since you asked me a question, let me respond. The 8 to 9 million people you refer to that might have to change their coverage — keep in mind out of the 300 million Americans that we are talking about — would be folks who the CBO, the Congressional Budget Office, estimates would find the deal in the exchange better — would be a better deal. So, yes, they would change coverage because they got more choice and competition.” Continue reading
Great Empires, An Illustrated Atlas
I found this National Geographic book in the local library while searching for information about the Ottoman Empire. I read only that chapter and the one titled “Byzantium and the Arab World.” I did thumb through to look at the many colorful pictures and illustrations. The book presents a high level overview and often with little explanation. My interests in learning more about the Ottoman Empire were frustrated by the closing sentence that the “…once great empire had lost its way. But from its wreckage emerged a new nation, Turkey…” Nothing more is provided to explain what happened except for the closing lines that “…a democratic society that reached out to its old foes in Europe and forged close bonds with the West.” There is no mention of the fascinating story of how Mustafa Kemal and his supporters succeeded at ending the Empire to make the new country called Turkey. Continue reading