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Malik Isaac Taylor (November 20, 1970 – March 22, 2016 Rest in peace Five Foot Assassin...

I've been interested in Nina Simone's music lately after reading this article about this interesting artist: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/03/10/fierce-courage-nina-simone/ Trained to be a classical pianist, she was refused entry to conservatory in the segregated USA. When she was making money singing the blues, she interspersed Bach and Beethoven in popular tunes. What she was really good at was being really honest about the rotten state of the country. Take this part from her song Missisipi Goddamn: Oh but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you any more ... ... You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about Mississippi Everybody knows about Alabama Everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam Still rings true... My interest her gotten a new level after listening to her Dylan covers, which she takes to a whole different level...

Turkey is in turmoil. Rumors of explosions, actual explosions, politicians proclaiming truisms and nothing more, toxic political environment, political deadlock, inactive opposition... Just adds to the stress at our biggest project at the office. In my daily commute, I find much needed solitude in listening to BBC4's excellent podcasts on history. I'd like to share three recent episodes that I really enjoyed for those of you who want an escape from the madness going on around us. Rumi's Poetry: Mevlana in Turkish, Rumi is a household name in Turkey, but we are educated very poorly about his life or works. This podcast is a great introduction to a deep subject, and a fresh look at the fact that Islam is not a monolithic culture:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06ztx2w Haitian Revolution: The only example of a successful slave revolution is the Haitian Revolution. Also an example of how the international system can suffocate any deviating countries from the internati...