Today, our Op-Ed was published in Herald Leader of Kentucky.

Kentucky voices: More doctors controlled by hospitals mean restricted care

By Kevin T. Kavanagh and Helen Bukulmez

Herald Leader Article

In the year 1912, nineteen-year-old Christy Huddleston leaves home to teach school in the Smoky Mountains – and comes to know and love the resilient people of the region, with their fierce pride, their dark superstitions, their terrible poverty, and their yearning for beauty and truth. But her faith will be severely challenged by trial and tragedy, by the needs and unique strengths of two remarkable young men, and by a heart torn between true love and unwavering devotion.

First released in 1967, Christy is based on the life of author Catherine Marshall’s mother. Told in a sophisticated language, this book opens a door to the mountains, people of strict beliefs and the challenges faced by those who want to change, impact or inspire these “stiff-necked young’uns.”

Read the Latest Post on Solar Flares Do Affect Our Moods

Have you felt like these past few weeks have been trying [I mean aside from your Internet not working properly and the Netflix Server being down]? Weird moods, aggressive states of mind, feeling of emptiness and uneasiness? Well, you are not alone. Thousands of people have reported the same feelings either to their doctors or personal confidants. Conveniently at the same time, we heard about the series of solar flares happening in the atmosphere.

With all the news of famine, hunger, and related child deaths in Africa, I started thinking about how much food we waste here in the United States. We toss the leftovers into the garbage if the kids did not like the dinner, leave containers full of edibles in the fridge until they start to smell, and pour down the food dispenser any milk after its expiration date. After thinking about how all this food would be appreciated in Africa, I wanted to do something about this waste.

Digging into my memories of food and the philosophy of zero-food-waste in Izmir, Turkey, I found many ideas. Turning old milk into delicious cheese is one of them.

National Television in Turkey just reported that today, Turkey’s armed forces chief, along with heads of army, navy & air forces, resigned from their positions.

The news comes right before the YAS Meeting. This meeting was scheduled between the government and the top military officials in order to discuss whether the government would release the political prisoners who are mostly army generals and military personnel.

It rained all night…
Climbing the steps in the Devil’s Gulch,
I saw the tears roll down the leaves of the hemlock.
Ferns asked, I could not answer…
Could have said, “I am not the one who knows why.”

Hello friends,

After sharing several stories of our hiking trips, ideas, and photos; it has become apparent that many of us would like to join in the efforts to get together and plan a group hike. Hiking is probably the most inexpensive activity that will give you the richest experience for the exercise, opportunities for friendships and networking possibilities. It will, time after time, let you to rediscover yourself, the nature and your surroundings.

In order to help these efforts, we have created a group on Facebook: Hiking Professionals. If you would like to join, please let us know.

What do you do when you are craving a refreshing hike but you are stuck in your own little town because of the weather or the traffic?

Well, I don’t know what you do. But, right after getting our Ascend backpacks the day before, we could not just sit at home thinking about all the new possibilities of a hike with our new backpacks. So, we hit the road from Beaumont to Fayette Mall, on foot that is. It was an interesting hike that happened because of and despite Lexington in many aspects. Here is a peek into our urban hike in Lexington.

I have a good news for those who prefer healthy, natural food but don’t want to pay fortune obtaining it. This may be particularly relevant to vegetarians. The news is that purslane is in abundance around us this month and I believe that everyone should know about it.

Purslane is one of the weeds widely known and consumed in the Aegean region of the world. After I unexpectedly discovered that we have it here in United States, I have been seeking them on the roadsides and asking my friends to save them for me after they weed their flower garden.

Whether we like it or not, virtually everything we buy these days, even the food on our table, is “Made in China.” Of course, the prices have gone down considerably, as well. Most economists call these low prices the “China Price,” and try to deconstruct the whole idea to see how it is that China is so competitive in today’s world. So many products made so cheaply… Sure, who doesn’t want to pay less money for the same product?

There is, however, the other side of the coin, which can be just as legitimately called the “China Price.” And, that is the true cost of incorporating the Chinese market and its production culture into our own lives and values.