We all have ideas on flirting. Sometimes we can even tell when a flirt is really a 'flirt.' But are there times when flirting must be avoided? If you are the flirter, it's easy to stop or control the flirt. There are even tips on How to Avoid Flirting. But what if you are the 'flirtee'? I think the same rules apply. Talking about your 'significant other' (in good terms of course) or even the mere mention of such is sure to eliminate the flirtatious victimization for sure. Be sure to keep that in mind. Finally, don't underestimate the power of perception of how sometimes things may be misinterpreted by others. I guess it helps to err on the side of caution.

As a society our obsession with celebrity gossip is quite evident. So in the interest of informing y'all, here's the Jesse James apology to his wife Sandra Bullock.

There's even talk of Best Actress Oscar winners' curse of leading ladies and ruined relationships. Just a few days ago Kate Winslett announced a split from her husband. And now the man who Sandra thanked adoringly just recently seems to have had an affair while she was filming her latest movie. But why apologize? If there are relationship problems between a man and a woman (celebrity or not), is the 'affair' or 'cheating' a random act of dumbness or a sign of things past?

Maybe we have to resign to the fact we're all prone to sour relationship matters of the heart. I know from personal experience. Even those of us who seem to have a 'perfect' marriage should stay clear from making off-color comments on others' private plight. Don't you think?

I guess you dont become a politician if you dont have at least some narcissism. But for some in Congress to say they know what's best for us (even if their own constituents overwhelmingly oppose it) because in due time we'll realize we didn't know a good thing when we had a chance and thank our lucky stars our 'selected' officials that we helped 'elect' had the 'foresight' to vote what was best for us! ... is akin to ... well ... Liberalism. They "almost always believe there is a need for a government solution to problems — a solution that they will design and that all average people should be happy to follow."

Poll after poll shows the American people do not believe the ENTIRE healthcare system needs to be changed; obviously we all want healthcare available for those who can't afford it. But why not change only that part of the system? It would cost less too, possibly a few trillions less of money we don't even have.

Hey Dear Government: Want to know how you can help healthcare; help people find a job! So they can have bread on the table and not get sick in the first place! Preventative medicine, anyone heard of it?

As this article states, "disagreeing with a tax payer healthcare system does not mean that you are cheap or heartless ... Healthcare care reform is important ... This issue needs more bipartisan debate, more thinking outside of the box, and more input from citizens.

But that's not what Democrats are doing nowadays. Because they know what's best for us!

"An entire year has gone to waste," says Sen. Scott Brown of Massachusetts, and he's damn right! What's with the shoving 'health care' down our throat rush of the Democratic Congress and the President of 'Democrats' of America?

By Hook or By Crook! and The Great Healthcare Robbery!

We all want health care! What we don't want is the overhaul of the ENTIRE system and one size fits all for EVERYONE. This is NOT Mao's China! If the 'real intent' is to deliver healthcare to those who can't afford it, then so be it! Offer healthcare to those who can't. Give them Government Care! It would be a lot cheaper than revamping the entire system! Besides, right now we can all use a few trillion here and there...

However, the 'true' purpose of all this moronic exorcism and the ulterior motive is not really healthcare. It's the arrogant attitude of the Democrats and Obama to declare 'they know what's best for us better than us.' Government should instead create more JOBS! While 'they' (what happened to 'Of the People, By the People, For the People'? When we start referring to our government as 'they,' it's time to get scared) straighten out the departments they already have control over, like the Post Office, Amtrak, or the joke that is Homeland Security!

Stop Obamacare! Tell your Congressmen and Senators that they do not know what's best for you; YOU know what's best for you!

Which lasted longer, the Oscars or Avatar? Well, the highest grossing movie and its creator-producer-director James Cameron did not win Best Movie or Best Director. Instead, those awards went to 'The Hurt Locker' and Kathryn Bigelow (Cameron's ex-wife), the first female 'Best Director.'

Next year, how about considering cutting 10 or so awards and instead adding more (meaningful and funnier) monologue and skits? Also, why not have Ryan Seacrest host the thing, bring the nominees on stage, have them sit on the couch like on American Idol, and one by one tell them 'the tribe has spoken' as he declares the last actor standing the winner? By the way, no more 'The Oscar goes to...," and back in with "The Winner is..." I liked it!

It was a sad day for Turkish-American relations. But it's even a sadder day for Armenians! They will lose more than they will ever gain!

Do the Armenians really think that some soiling-their-pants Congressmen care about the Armenians' plight? Was this part of a ploy, a plan of pushing Turkey off-track and into radicalism, alienating the 'model' integration of secularism and Muslim-ness, and thereby prove to the 'world' that a moderate Islam doesn't exist?

By a narrow margin of 23-22, The House Foreign Affairs Committee passed the measure recommending the U.S. recognize the 'events' of 1915 as 'Genocide.'

A similar 'Genocide' measure in 2007 was passed by a wider margin, but it was not brought to the House floor for a vote following intensive pressure by then-President George W. Bush. (How They Voted Yesterday)

At the expense of falling victim to the trap I've been blogging against for the past few years here on TalkTurkey, I reverse course and join the chorus that Armenians really do not want reconciliation. Although it is non-binding and simply meaningless, as well as farcical, enough is enough! I am now definitely not in a reconciliatory mood any longer. In fact, I say 'let the games begin!'

Here's my open letter to Prime Minister Erdogan and President Gul of Turkey:

Turkey should introduce a BINDING resolution IMMEDIATELY (and pass by a wide margin) condemning the U.S. for its actions, massacre and atrocities committed against the American Indians, and its own citizens in the form of African Americans, as well as the more recent 'Genocide' in Iraq and elsewhere.

Cancel any planned and future trips to the U.S. by any head of state; recall its ambassador permanently, submit a withdrawal plan to cease and desist any troop involvement in Afghanistan and elsewhere, close all of the U.S. bases in Turkey, stop all military and intelligence cooperation, leave NATO, along with a 'Thanks but No Thanks' declaration to reverse course as it pertains to joining the EU.

Do not enter into any high-level discussions with anyone from the Obama Administration and/or the U.S. Congress. In fact, do not even pick up the phone, and don't even setup voice mail. Stop and boycott all American imports, cash in all U.S. dollars in stock, freeze any American government bank accounts and assets, and stop sponsoring any U.S. related activity, public and private.

Take the more than $2 million Turkey spends 'officially' (and who knows how much more unofficially) on lobbying 'efforts' and divert the funds into another project highlighting a more positive image of the Turks, like building sports facilities for kids with talent but no financial means, or educational grants for top researchers, or even a big production Hollywood-type film about Turks who helped Jews escaping Spain or more recently escaping the Nazis.

Create a coalition of non-binding states opposing the American 'agenda,' align with Russia and China, stop making payments to IMF, and start a true nuclear program. Close the border with Armenia, and implement a don't ask, don't tell policy regarding any non-dealings, political or economical between the two countries and their peoples.

Sue the U.S. for reparations toward the families of those killed/injured in the line of duty during the dead-end 'War on Terror' reign over the past several years.

Lastly, start a 'Condemnation Day' campaign to lend a voice to those murdered first during the uprising by the Armenian Turks against Muslim Turks. Encourage all countries to engage in 'recognizing' that such horrible events did indeed take place. Don't play defense, get on the offense! And do it fast!

Turks, and apparently BBC with their premature 'US to recognize Armenian genocide' reporting, are jumping to conclusions. This committee vote today (which will most likely pass the 'Genocide' terminology's application against modern-day Turkey, despite Obama Administration's last minute 'hold-off' until later cries today - how sincere!) is ONLY a recommendation to bring the resolution to a full vote on the floor of The House.

Then, and only then, would the entire House would get to vote (if it ever comes to that - highly unlikely). But even if it did 'pass' the vote, it is ONLY a NON-BINDING resolution to 'enforce' Obama and future Presidents to refer to the atrocities/massacres (committed by both sides for a variety of reasons I am not going to bore you with here) as 'Genocide' when commemorating the Armenian anniversary of the said acts on April 24 each year.

This non-binding resolution in no way would 'force' Turkey into admission or submission. But it will 'forever' change the US-Turkish relations for sure. Politicians will once again get in the way of history and truths. What else is new? Get over it Turks (and Armenians)!

By the way, wouldn't Turkey be better off redistributing the more than $2M it spends annually on lobbying efforts elsewhere, like investing into 'nuclear' energy (like Iran so boldly has)?

It's that time of the year (again). The U.S. House gets to vote (in what seems to be an annual hell-bent exercise of least meant intentions) on the 'Genocide' claims of Armenian (Turks) against their then country of citizenship, Turkey, without any regard to any atrocities and injustices committed by the opposing party in self-defense or preservation of its sovereignty against its own citizens conspiring with the enemy during times of war. Who perpetrated and provoked first? Does it matter? Why so one-sided and one-dimensional at best and delusional at worst?

As Henri J. Barkey writes in The Washington Post, "The Turks, Armenians and the United States all dilute the meaning of the word genocide by playing politics with it." So true!!! Hypocrisy at its best!

Mr. Barkey also adds, "while some U.S. lawmakers feel strongly about the Armenian genocide resolution, most realize that no moral good can come from a label applied almost a century later. They support the resolution only to score points with the highly organized Armenian-American lobby."

Although some people will even stoop to pointing out the conflict then and now is a Muslim vs Christian or Islam vs Christianity issue, it's rather not.

The Ottoman Empire is known for its 'tolerant' policy of federating ethnic and religious groups under the 'Turkish' umbrella, whether it's the Jews escaping massacre against them by the 'Christians' in Spain or being entrusted as the 'Keeper of the Key' to Christianity's most holy sites in Jerusalem.

Nationalistic idealism was a spreading force to be reckoned with at the time of WWI. And Turkey was no exception. However this secession movement was not just limited to the Balkan Christians but applied to the Muslim Arabs as well. Just take a look at them today; Arabs with their multiple states, each with their own 'identity' but no collective voice and interaction, and Balkan states, most recently Greece, at the point of financial bankruptcy, while Turkey is enjoying its interdependence. This is by no means a Muslim vs Christian undermining. It's the political truth of today.

However, it's also wrong to assume (we have a tendency to do that a lot in Turkey) that major US CEOs warn against Armenian 'Genocide' Bill should come to mean 'for political truth reasons' and not for what it really is. Upsetting the financial and political balance of the region and a great US ally Turkey. In fact, most opposers of 'Genocide' in the US Congress and/or The White House whom Turkey aligns itself with is so with reservations about the real truth but real concerns about Turkey's response to any US action, which would in effect affect US-Turkish relations from the standpoint of US interests solely. Although the writer of the referred news article did not mean for it to be taken that way, any other assumption, no matter how much money Turkey throws away in lobbying efforts, would be nonsense, as well as a real stretch.

Just as I write this, an article in World Politics Review with the title 'Wrong Time for Armenian Genocide Bill' appears; "While there is little doubt outside of Turkey that genocide was perpetrated against the Armenians in the 1910s, the resolution threatens to undermine U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and South Caucasus at exactly the wrong time." I rest my case!

One thing for sure, as Turkish President Gul says, "Keeping a record of history is not the business of politicians or parliaments; it should be the business of historians and scholars."

Why would you trek all the way to Canada and not perform? Turkey's entry of Men's Alpine Skiing Erdinc Turksever 'Did Not Finish' either of his two events. I know I sound harsh but, staying home was not an option? His female counterpart Tugba Tasdemir was 56th (out of 86) in one of her events; she did not finish her second event either. In Cross-Country Skiing, Turkey's male entry Sebahattin Oglago finished 77th out of 86. In Ladies Cross-Country, Kelime Cetinkaya was involved in three separate events. She finished 69th, 53rd, and 63rd respectively. (see attached)

Turkey needs to re-reevaluate its 'sports' philosophy. Turkey and Turks need to also 'learn' that for success in the future, great investments (and not just monetary) need to be made, and patience have to be 'practiced' for many (many) years. Which brings us to Tugba Karademir. She was quite promising and deserved to be placed higher than 21st during the Short Program (to the music of Bazaar Istanbul). Two nights later, although she fell and self-admittedly didn't skate well, some others did worse yet placed higher. Subjective judging?

Her mom said it best, "will she ever be a medal contender in figure skating, probably not!" However, sometimes winning a medal is not the only thing. Especially in the case of Miss Karademir. Her and her parents' story was repeated many times during NBC's telecast (and the accompanying commentaries). True Olympics spirit. Sacrifice, that's what the Olympics is all about. And Turks I am sure were all proud that NBC showed her skate both nights, something the other 'less than perfect' skaters and their represented countries did not enjoy. Once again, great advertising for Turkey and Turks that no amount of money can buy!

I wish Turkey would present her with a medal. A medal for showcasing Turkey to the world by performing to the best of her abilities; but more importantly for having a great personality, attitude, and charisma. I and many thousands of others are very proud of her. I also hope (Turkish) sponsors would jump on the Tugba Karademir bandwagon and ride on her coattails. Finally, no offense Kelime Centinkaya (and Turkish [in]decision makers), but Tugba should have been the flag-bearer for Turkey!

She's Turkish, but lives in Canada. She'll be on home ice as she'll skate representing Turkey (instead of Canada) in figure skating at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Another sport so popular in Turkey to watch, but with no infrastructure; however, Tugba Karademir pledges to change all that.

"I would love to go back and help out... There is a lot of talent out there at a young age but unfortunately it's wasted as they don't know how to develop it."

Hopefully Turks in Turkey are listening... and watching. February 23 and 25.

Tugba is not only Turkey's first figure skater, she's also the first Muslim woman to compete internationally in women's figure skating. And she is just one of six athletes competing for Turkey at this year's Winter Olympics.