Is it just me who is wildly put out by the amount of plastic surgery in Korean dramas? I have no clue who any of these actors are, but can immediately tell who is the lead in a series by how little of their face can move.
November 25, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Is it just me who is wildly put out by the amount of plastic surgery in Korean dramas? I have no clue who any of these actors are, but can immediately tell who is the lead in a series by how little of their face can move.
Don't know about Americans, but lots of my Jewish European friends have definitely radicalised a lot after the Oct 7th attacks in Israel.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
November 5, 2025 at 9:52 AM
Don't know about Americans, but lots of my Jewish European friends have definitely radicalised a lot after the Oct 7th attacks in Israel.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
These days, they pretty much post daily conspiracy nonsense that is usually pretty boring. This one was hilarious.
Never underestimate the "love you bro" relationship strongmen have to one another. Obviously, Hitler hated Stalin. But in transcripts of conversations where Stalin is mentioned, Hitler calls him "the second greatest man of our times" referring to himself as first, obviously.
Interesting interview from 1997, in which PKK leader Öcalan said "Politicians lack the power to decide. I wish I had Mustafa Kemal standing before me. He would kill me, but he would have the power to decide. Let's truly save our Turkey. Let's save the Kurds, too."
He needed another autocrat
He needed another autocrat
Fatih Altaylı'nın Abdullah Öcalan röportajı 28 yıl sonra ilk kez yayınlandı
October 23, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Never underestimate the "love you bro" relationship strongmen have to one another. Obviously, Hitler hated Stalin. But in transcripts of conversations where Stalin is mentioned, Hitler calls him "the second greatest man of our times" referring to himself as first, obviously.
I've seen a lot of reports recently (in Israeli social media) on the stress and trauma of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza, and it is - to an outsider - such a jarring thing to read.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
October 19, 2025 at 8:01 AM
I've seen a lot of reports recently (in Israeli social media) on the stress and trauma of Israeli soldiers fighting in Gaza, and it is - to an outsider - such a jarring thing to read.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Being a soldier is not a natural profession & trauma is of course something that happens. But the focus is so odd.
Decided to bring back the moustache after over a decade's absence. Overnight, I look both 100% more Middle Eastern and 120% more Spanish.
True Andalusian hybrid.
True Andalusian hybrid.
September 25, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Decided to bring back the moustache after over a decade's absence. Overnight, I look both 100% more Middle Eastern and 120% more Spanish.
True Andalusian hybrid.
True Andalusian hybrid.
Stolen from facebook specifically for @ljukic.bsky.social
September 18, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Stolen from facebook specifically for @ljukic.bsky.social
I rank babies. I have been doing it for years. I can safely say that Central Asians have the best ones. All babies are great, so don't be offended. The Central Asians just happen to be the best.
September 14, 2025 at 11:43 AM
I rank babies. I have been doing it for years. I can safely say that Central Asians have the best ones. All babies are great, so don't be offended. The Central Asians just happen to be the best.
Weirdest superpower move I have ever heard of, to be honest.
"Asking us to build factories and invest then arresting and detaining. Is this what an ally does?"
-- Protest sign at airport where South Korean workers, including engineers with work visas, were returned
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
-- Protest sign at airport where South Korean workers, including engineers with work visas, were returned
www.wsj.com/world/asia/c...
September 13, 2025 at 2:49 PM
Weirdest superpower move I have ever heard of, to be honest.
Technically, I guess Bluesky would be closest to Shiisim with the original bloodline (Jack Dorsey) and his closest followers building an alternate version of the much bigger orthodox version that recently came into new management.
Increasingly I look back on the time when everyone was on Old Twitter like the undivided Church of the first few centuries - now social media feels as though it’s fragmented into denominations: the Xians, the Blueskytes, the Threadsians, the Substackites, the Instagramarians &c
September 1, 2025 at 12:29 PM
Technically, I guess Bluesky would be closest to Shiisim with the original bloodline (Jack Dorsey) and his closest followers building an alternate version of the much bigger orthodox version that recently came into new management.
I might go against the grain on this site a bit by saying that immigration is absolutely a salient issue in a country like the UK and that having a more stringent immigration scheme seems to be genuinely popular. But emulating the way in which the right speaks about the issue is a losing play.
August 27, 2025 at 2:45 PM
I might go against the grain on this site a bit by saying that immigration is absolutely a salient issue in a country like the UK and that having a more stringent immigration scheme seems to be genuinely popular. But emulating the way in which the right speaks about the issue is a losing play.
Reposted by Ariz Kader
Israel justified its strike on the Nasser Hospital, which killed six journalists and more than a dozen others, by claiming a "Hamas" camera was set up there.
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
Israel Says It Attacked Gaza Hospital to Destroy Camera Placed by Hamas
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2025 at 9:31 PM
Israel justified its strike on the Nasser Hospital, which killed six journalists and more than a dozen others, by claiming a "Hamas" camera was set up there.
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
The location they attacked is where Reuters and the AP livestream.
From me and others (see byline/contribs)
www.nytimes.com/2025/08/26/w...
For all the criticisms of Wikipedia, when used correctly, it is a valuable source of information on nearly every subject broken down in an understandable format.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
August 25, 2025 at 7:23 AM
For all the criticisms of Wikipedia, when used correctly, it is a valuable source of information on nearly every subject broken down in an understandable format.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
One of the fears that I have is that traffic to the site and other resources will plummet as a result of search engine AI integration.
You can test if your AI can understand the concept of irony by asking about this article.
Turkey’s parliamentary body on solving Kurdish issue bars Kurdish language speech, @amberinzaman.bsky.social writes
www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
www.al-monitor.com/originals/20...
Turkey’s parliamentary body on solving Kurdish issue bars Kurdish language speech
Two Kurdish women invited to address the parliamentary committee were told they could not speak Kurdish during the session.
www.al-monitor.com
August 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
You can test if your AI can understand the concept of irony by asking about this article.
Could someone who speaks Chinese please tell me what these "spicy strips" are? This is one of the weirdest flavours I can't quite place.
August 18, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Could someone who speaks Chinese please tell me what these "spicy strips" are? This is one of the weirdest flavours I can't quite place.
Does anyone know a good book on Saddam's 1979 Baath Party purge? I am specifically looking into the al-Khuld Hall massacre and how it came about.
August 18, 2025 at 10:40 AM
Does anyone know a good book on Saddam's 1979 Baath Party purge? I am specifically looking into the al-Khuld Hall massacre and how it came about.
I spend a more than healthy amount of time looking at babies (I love babies). I have come to the conclusion that Koreans make excellent babies and that the world should do more to help them make more of them.
August 17, 2025 at 5:06 PM
I spend a more than healthy amount of time looking at babies (I love babies). I have come to the conclusion that Koreans make excellent babies and that the world should do more to help them make more of them.
Giving thanks today to the fact that I've lived in the Middle East long enough as a teenager and as an adult not to have that weird diaspora identity crisis where everything is about a romanticised "back home" worldview.
August 16, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Giving thanks today to the fact that I've lived in the Middle East long enough as a teenager and as an adult not to have that weird diaspora identity crisis where everything is about a romanticised "back home" worldview.
Reposted by Ariz Kader
I see consistency in Ankara vis-a-vis YPG. Differences among ruling elites are not as big as what various interpretations assume. Concretely, Fidan's latest statement does not fall very far from Bahceli's position that expects all PKK affiliates including the YPG to lay down arms.
August 14, 2025 at 9:05 AM
I see consistency in Ankara vis-a-vis YPG. Differences among ruling elites are not as big as what various interpretations assume. Concretely, Fidan's latest statement does not fall very far from Bahceli's position that expects all PKK affiliates including the YPG to lay down arms.
The U.S. Presidential three segment Rousseau-inspired system has been super interesting analytically because it is such a unique success. By that, I mean that in every case it was applied outside of the U.S., it turned into a massive failure empowering strongmen autocracies and massive corruption.
August 13, 2025 at 7:27 AM
The U.S. Presidential three segment Rousseau-inspired system has been super interesting analytically because it is such a unique success. By that, I mean that in every case it was applied outside of the U.S., it turned into a massive failure empowering strongmen autocracies and massive corruption.
Every Instagram "sponsored" post I get in the stories is just the saddest looking guy ever, pretending to be wealthy, in front of a podcast mic.
They are all selling the same thing. I.e. - selling what they don't have.
They are all selling the same thing. I.e. - selling what they don't have.
August 12, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Every Instagram "sponsored" post I get in the stories is just the saddest looking guy ever, pretending to be wealthy, in front of a podcast mic.
They are all selling the same thing. I.e. - selling what they don't have.
They are all selling the same thing. I.e. - selling what they don't have.
Reposted by Ariz Kader
📣1 PhD fellow position open at Department of Political Science, University of Oslo.
👉We invite applications from excellent candidates in all sub-fields of political science.
📅Deadline: September 1st, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
👉We invite applications from excellent candidates in all sub-fields of political science.
📅Deadline: September 1st, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
PhD Research Fellowship in Political Science (4 years) (282479) | University of Oslo
Job title: PhD Research Fellowship in Political Science (4 years) (282479), Employer: University of Oslo, Deadline: Monday, September 1, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no
July 23, 2025 at 12:24 PM
📣1 PhD fellow position open at Department of Political Science, University of Oslo.
👉We invite applications from excellent candidates in all sub-fields of political science.
📅Deadline: September 1st, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
👉We invite applications from excellent candidates in all sub-fields of political science.
📅Deadline: September 1st, 2025
www.jobbnorge.no/en/available...
I don't know if anyone remembers the Siyaset podcast, but I thought I'd tell you I'm at it again with a new podcast being produced for the The Amargi.
If you like to learn about Middle Eastern culture, politics, and social movements, please have a listen to it when the first episode comes out :)
If you like to learn about Middle Eastern culture, politics, and social movements, please have a listen to it when the first episode comes out :)
August 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
I don't know if anyone remembers the Siyaset podcast, but I thought I'd tell you I'm at it again with a new podcast being produced for the The Amargi.
If you like to learn about Middle Eastern culture, politics, and social movements, please have a listen to it when the first episode comes out :)
If you like to learn about Middle Eastern culture, politics, and social movements, please have a listen to it when the first episode comes out :)
Reposted by Ariz Kader
BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.
August 10, 2025 at 10:33 PM
BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen has confirmed that the entire Al Jazeera team in Gaza City has been killed.
Depending on how this is managed, this is a preferrable outcome in lots of inter-state conflicts with strong identity politics and historix grievances. Same case for Korea-Japan etc.
While this is a premise we can all get behind, it also seems to be the case that today’s vision of peace also rejects & excludes the realms of memory and justice. We seem to bear witness to an Armenian-Azerbaijani pacto de olvido – an agreement not to raise the past as a route to a better future.
August 9, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Depending on how this is managed, this is a preferrable outcome in lots of inter-state conflicts with strong identity politics and historix grievances. Same case for Korea-Japan etc.